U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced Tuesday that Israel had sent Iron Dome batteries to the United Arab Emirates as a means of protection, as ties between the countries grow closer.
Israel sent anti-missile batteries and personnel to operate them to the UAE, Huckabee said Tuesday at a conference in Tel Aviv, Israel.
The comments come as the ceasefire in the Iran war remains shaky. Iran still controls the Strait of Hormuz, while negotiations appear to be at a standstill.
The batteries typically include radar systems and missile launchers.
“Can I say a word of deep appreciation and admiration for the United Arab Emirates … the first Abraham Accords member,” said Huckabee. “Look at the benefits … Israel just sent them Iron Dome batteries and personnel to help operate them.”
Iran has targeted the UAE more than any other country during the war that began on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, and the Islamic regime has continued launching attacks on the UAE during the current truce.
Huckabee, a Baptist minister and longtime supporter of Israel, also said he was “very optimistic” that additional countries in the region would soon join the Abraham Accords, the 2020 agreement that established normalized relations between Israel and some Arab countries.
“Gulf States have now understood that they’re going to have to make a choice: is it more likely that they will be attacked by Iran or by Israel?” Huckabee asked. “They can look around and say, ‘Israel helped us, Iran attacked us.’… Israel is not your natural enemy.”
GULF COUNTRIES SEEK TO WEAN THEMSELVES OFF STRAIT OF HORMUZ
The move comes as President Donald Trump said Monday that the ceasefire between Iran, Israel, and the United States was on “life support” after what he described as a “garbage” response from Iran while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office.
“It’s unbelievably weak, I would say,” the president said when asked if the ceasefire remains in place. “I would call it the weakest, right now, after reading that piece of garbage they sent us. I didn’t even finish reading it. I said, they’re going to waste my time reading it. I would say it’s one of the weakest — right now, it’s on life support.”