Israel has delivered Iron Dome batteries and personnel to operate them to the United Arab Emirates to help protect the neighbor from missile and drone attacks by Iran, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Tuesday.

The deployment represents the first publicly acknowledged delivery of Israel's military to the Emirates, a federation of seven sheikdoms on the Arabian Peninsula home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

“I’d like to say a word of appreciation for the United Arab Emirates, the first Abraham Accord member,” Huckabee said at the Tel Aviv Conference. “Just look at the benefits. Israel just sent them Iron Dome batteries and personnel to help operate them.”

The United Arab Emirates diplomatically recognized Israel in 2020. That drew criticism from Iran, long Israel's main regional enemy. 

The UAE and Israel didn't immediately respond to a request for comment over the acknowledgment by Huckabee. However, Huckabee's remarks came after US ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, was quoted as saying the same during an event at the Israeli mission there Monday night -- suggesting this was an intentional release of the information, likely with the Emiratis' and Israelis' blessing.

It comes as the UAE has faced Iranian missile and drone fire even after the ceasefire was reached in the war, and has been trying to signal to nervous investors and the public it remains open for business and safe. The UAE has also closed down Iranian government-linked sites in the country since the war began. The Emirates has long been used by both the Iranian government and average Iranians as a place to safely do business offshore from the Islamic Republic.

Huckabee added that he was “very optimistic” that additional countries in the region will soon join the Abraham Accords, the 2020 diplomatic recognition deal that also included the Gulf Arab kingdom of Bahrain, for formal relations with Israel.

However, many Arab states remain incensed by Israel's wide-ranging military campaigns after Hamas' 2023 attack on the country, which has seen the Gaza Strip leveled and Iran's allies attacked across the wider Mideast. Israel now controls territory in Lebanon and Syria as well.

Huckabee in his remarks also sought to shore up US support for the recent war, suggesting that “Israel is the appetizer, America has always been the entrée" for Iran's theocracy.

“The Gulf states now understood they will have to make a choice -- is it more likely they will be attacked by Iran or Israel?" Huckabee asked. "They see that Israel helped us and Iran attacked us. Israel is not trying to take over your land, and is not sending missiles to you.”

Add as a preferred source on Google +