“Iron Gulf”: Israel’s Iron Dome Systems To Be Deployed At US Bases In Persian Gulf

Early this week Israel’s Haaretz newspaper featured quotes from top Israeli military sources which are sure to add major fuel to the fire of simmering Iran tensions in the region. 

The Israeli sources say there’s been a behind closed doors agreement to deploy the Iron Dome defense systems to US military bases in the Gulf. “The United States is expected to soon begin deploying Iron Dome missile interceptor batteries, one of the jewels of Israel’s arms manufacturing industry, in its bases in the Gulf States, according to security officials,” Haaretz wrote.

Israeli officials told the newspaper further that ongoing talks are now centered on obtaining “the technical approval of the Americans to deploy the batteries in order to protect their forces from possible attacks by Iran and its allies.”

It’s as yet unknown which countries would host the Israeli anti-air systems, which are most often used to deter Hamas rockets out of Gaza, but the secretive talks follow on the heels of the Trump-brokered Abraham accords which saw normalization of ties between the UAE and Israel, among others. 

This also comes as earlier this month Israel transferred its second Iron Dome battery to the US Defense Department, as part of a deal inked in 2019.

Below are some key quotes in the Haaretz report, which was also picked up by Bloomberg:

Because of the sensitivity of the matter for the Americans, Israeli officials are refusing to reveal in which countries the Iron Dome interceptors will be deployed. But behind closed doors, Israel gave its tacit agreement to the Americans to place the batteries in order to defend its forces from attacks by Iran and its proxies, according to Israeli officials.

And surprisingly the Iron Dome systems could eventually make their way to US bases in Eastern Europe:

As well as the Gulf states, deployments are also expected in Eastern European countries, out of fear that Russia could endanger American forces, or strategic infrastructure in those countries, said the Israeli officials.

In early January when the Israel Ministry of Defense delivered the second of two Iron Dome anti-air missile defense systems to the US Army, Defense Minister Benny Gantz told Israel National News that “the delivery of the Iron Dome to the U.S. Army once again demonstrates the close relations between the Israel Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense.” 

Gantz continued: “I am confident that the system will assist the U.S. Army in protecting American troops from ballistic and airborne threats as well as from developing threats in the areas where U.S. troops are deployed on various missions.”