By The South Asia Times

DUBAI / TEL AVIV -  The United Arab Emirates has significantly deepened its defense and intelligence partnership with Israel, moving beyond covert coordination to open "operational cooperation on the ground" aimed at countering Iran, according to reports from Israeli media and the Financial Times.

Citing Israeli Channel 12, Al Mayadeen English reported Saturday that Abu Dhabi has abandoned any pretense of concealing the nature of its relations with the occupation entity and is now openly advancing what it described as a "strategic alliance" with Israel. The channel further stated that the UAE has become "Israel's closest Arab partner today."

The deepening ties come as the Middle East remains engulfed in a two-month-old war between Israel and the United States on one side and Iran on the other—a conflict that has closed the Strait of Hormuz, triggered a global energy crisis, and reshaped regional alliances at breakneck speed.

- Advanced Weapons Systems Deployed to UAE

According to the Financial Times, Israel has transferred advanced weapons systems to the UAE to help defend the Gulf state against Iranian missiles and drones. These include a version of Israel's Iron Beam laser defense system, designed to intercept short-range rockets and drones through laser "vaporization," as well as a lightweight surveillance system known as "Spectro," which enables detection of incoming drones -- particularly Iranian-made Shahed models -- from distances of up to 20 kilometers.

Neither deployment had been previously reported, the Financial Times noted.

The systems were reportedly accompanied by "several dozen" Israeli military personnel who operated the equipment. A person familiar with the deployment told the newspaper that additional military systems and further Israeli personnel had also been sent to the Gulf state, adding, "It's not a small number of boots on the ground."

An unnamed regional official told the Financial Times that the deployment represented "one of the first major examples of extensive defense cooperation" between Israel and the UAE.

- Real-Time Intelligence Sharing

The report also stated that Israel has provided the UAE with critical, real-time intelligence to help counter Iranian threats. This intelligence-sharing arrangement, which had been rumored for months, now appears to be fully operational, with Israeli officials reportedly embedded alongside Emirati counterparts in joint command centers.

- US Approves Billions in Arms Deals

Meanwhile, the US State Department announced on Monday its approval of a series of potential arms deals involving advanced military equipment for Israel, Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE, with a total value estimated in the billions of dollars. While the deals are presented as separate bilateral agreements, regional analysts view them as part of a coordinated Western-Gulf security architecture designed to isolate and contain Iran.

- Divisions Among Gulf States

The UAE's open embrace of Israel has not been welcomed uniformly across the Gulf. While Saudi Arabia has maintained a cautious posture—signaling openness to normalization but demanding concrete progress on Palestinian rights -- other Gulf states have expressed reservations.

Oman and Kuwait have publicly reiterated their support for Palestinian statehood and have refrained from following the UAE's lead in establishing formal military ties with Israel. Qatar, despite being included in the US arms package, maintains a complex relationship with both Iran and Israel, hosting Hamas's political bureau while also engaging in indirect negotiations with Tel Aviv.

Iran, for its part, has repeatedly warned Gulf states against allowing Israeli military personnel or systems on their soil. Following the Financial Times report, Iranian officials issued sharp condemnations, with Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi accusing the UAE of "inviting the enemy into the neighborhood."

A New Regional Order?

The UAE-Israel military partnership represents a dramatic acceleration of the normalization trend that began with the 2020 Abraham Accords. What was once primarily economic and diplomatic cooperation has now evolved into a full-fledged defense alliance—one that places Abu Dhabi squarely on the anti-Iran side of the region's widening fault lines.

For Israel, the Emirati partnership offers strategic depth, advanced airspace for early warning, and a Gulf-based launchpad for intelligence and logistics. For the UAE, Israeli technology and battlefield experience provide a formidable shield against Iranian missiles, drones, and proxy networks.

But for Palestinians watching from Gaza, where Israeli strikes, Palestinian genocide, and blockade of Gaza continue to kill and starve despite a nominal ceasefire, the sight of Arab states arming themselves alongside Israel is yet another betrayal.

As one analyst put it: "The Gulf may see Iran as the enemy. But for millions of Arabs, the occupation of Palestine remains the original sin -- and no Iron Beam laser can vaporize that reality."

Neither the UAE government nor Israeli officials have officially commented on the Financial Times report. However, the absence of denial from Abu Dhabi is itself a signal -- one that confirms the new rules of engagement in a region at war.