Israel had not only dispatched its well-known Iron Dome air defence system, Eitan's Light in Hebrew, to the United Arab Emirates during the Iranian assault but also transferred an advanced laser weapon.

According to the Financial Times, the UAE received a version of Israel’s Iron Beam laser system to defend against Iranian missiles and drones.

This marked one of the earliest examples of significant defence co-operation between the two nations, which had no diplomatic ties until the Abraham Accords were brokered in 2020 by US President Donald Trump.

A regional official described the deployment of the laser system as a demonstration of “the value of being Israel’s friend.” In addition to the Iron Beam, Israel also sent an advanced surveillance system known as Spectro, capable of detecting incoming drones from as far as 20 kilometres away, particularly the Iranian Shahed drones.

The report noted that many of the offensive and defensive systems provided were prototypes, not yet fully integrated into Israel’s own arsenal.

The Iron Beam system, designed to vaporise short-range rockets and drones, had previously been used by Israel against Hezbollah projectiles from Lebanon. Alongside the technology, Israel dispatched “several dozen” military personnel to the UAE, with sources emphasising that this was not a small deployment.

Iran’s offensive against the UAE was intense, involving more than 500 ballistic missiles and 2,000 drones. Israel not only supplied weapons but also shared intelligence, alerting the UAE to short-range missile launch preparations inside Iran.

The UAE activated multiple layers of air-defence systems, including Israeli-manufactured equipment, successfully intercepting the majority of incoming projectiles.

To keep pace with the scale of the conflict, Israel rushed systems that were still in development or not fully synchronised with its radar networks, effectively handing over platforms “off the bench” to the Emiratis. One source remarked that Israel had “let them into our underwear,” underscoring the unprecedented level of military sharing.

Relations between Israel and the UAE, along with three other Arab nations, were formally established through the Abraham Accords. Since then, both countries have steadily strengthened economic and defence ties, with Israel previously supplying the UAE with Barak and Spyder air-defence systems. 

However, the war that erupted after the joint US-Israeli strike on Iran in February became the first major test of this partnership.

The scale of Iran’s retaliation compelled Israel to transfer some of its most advanced platforms to its Gulf ally. A western official observed that the UAE became one of Iran’s primary targets partly due to its “enthusiastic” embrace of the Abraham Accords. This episode highlighted both the vulnerability of the Gulf state and the depth of its new strategic relationship with Israel.

Agencies