Israel and the UAE find common cause as the Iran war cracks old Middle East alliances

 

The Emirati flag sways in the wind as the skyline of Dubai is seen in the background on June 3, 2022. 

Karim Sahib/AFP/Getty Images

From almost any other country, the answer would have been a firm no. But when the United Arab Emirates came under a relentless Iranian attack during the US-Israeli war on Tehran, Israel agreed to deploy one of its most sensitive military systems.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly ordered the Israeli military to send an Iron Dome interceptor battery - and soldiers to operate it - to the UAE after a call with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a move that demonstrates just how far ties have come.

Now, as the UAE distances itself from its traditional allies because of their stance on the Iran war, Israel sees an unprecedented opportunity to further strengthen its ties, several Israeli officials have told CNN.

The UAE, which in 2020 became the first Arab nation in 26 years to normalize ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords, has said the Iran war could reshape its regional alliances, citing disappointment with some of its closest Arab partners. Abu Dhabi would instead become closer to Israel and nations that supported it during the war, including France, the United States, and the United Kingdom, officials say.

“Amid the limited positive developments to emerge from the Iran war, this relationship (with Abu Dhabi) stands out as ‘good news,’” an Israeli source with close knowledge of relations with the UAE told CNN. “Ties have advanced to a new level, including at the leadership level.”

UAE officials and state-linked commentators have in recent weeks issued rare public rebukes of Arab nations for failing to step up as the country bore the brunt of Iran’s attacks during Tehran’s retaliation in the US-Israeli war.

Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026. 

AFP/Getty Images

The stance of fellow Gulf Arab monarchies “was the weakest historically,” Anwar Gargash, an adviser to the UAE president, said at a conference in Dubai this week.

“I expected it from the Arab League and I’m not surprised,” Gargash said, referring to the bloc of 22 Arab states. “But I did not expect it from the Gulf (states), and I am surprised.”