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Israel permits U.S. deployment of Iron Dome Missile Interceptor Batteries in the Gulf

Jan 22, 2021

According to security officials, the United States is soon going to deploy one of the best jewels from Israel’s arms manufacturing industry, the Iron Dome missile interceptor batteries, in its bases set in the Gulf States. 

This is in regard to the two large arms deals that the U.S. signed with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, and the Abraham Accord between two Gulf States, namely Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, and Israel. 

The Missile Defense Organization of Israel gave the U.S. Defense Department a second Iron Dome battery. The Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel manufactured the battery to perform on the agreement made between the U.S. and Israel in August 2019. The agreement required Israel to develop two Iron Dome batteries for the U.S. 

The Israeli Defense officials stated that the Iron Dome Missile Interceptor batteries have been delivered to the Americans, adding that the US has sought permission from senior Israeli officials for deploying the Iron Dome Missile Defense systems in its military bases. The US military bases are located in various countries, including Europe, Middle East, and the Far East. 

Speaking at the second battery delivery ceremony, Benny Gantz, the Defense Minister for Israel, said that he was positive that the Defense systems developed by Israel would help the U.S. Army in defending its army men against threats of both kinds, aerial and ballistic. 

As the matter is quite sensitive for the Americans, the Israeli sources have refused to name the countries where the Iron Dome Missile Interceptor batteries will be deployed. But Israeli authorities have given a green signal to the American in a tacit agreement, permitting the U.S. to set its defense system to defend its soldiers from attacks by Iran. 

In addition to the Gulf States, it is expected that deployment may be made in Eastern European countries, for the fear that Russia may try to endanger American forces or the American strategic infrastructure built in those countries, the Israeli officials added.

A Saudi newspaper, back in September 2018, claimed that Riyadh made an agreement to buy an Iron Dome Battery Defense system from Israel, in which the U.S. acted as a mediator. However, this claim of the agreement was immediately denied by the Saudi Defense Ministry. But the Saudi officials did not negate that they had asked to buy the system.

Whereas Saudi Arabia made its request to purchase Iron Dome batteries public in September 2019 when Iran, as imputed, attacked the Oil refineries of Aramco, the national oil company of Saudi Arabia. 

Israel’s Rafael and other partners developed the first two batteries given to the U.S. But it is expected that Rafael will team up with the United States’ defense contractor Raytheon for the development of an American-kind of the interceptor missiles. 

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