Israel Supplied UAE with Advanced Laser Defense System During Iran War, British Newspaper Claims

LONDON/DUBAI: Israel covertly transferred cutting-edge defense systems to the United Arab Emirates during the ongoing conflict with Iran, including an advanced laser interception capability, a British newspaper has claimed — shedding light on the deepening security cooperation between Tel Aviv and Gulf Arab states amid the regional crisis.
According to the report, Israel provided the UAE with the ‘Spectro’ surveillance system, a sophisticated detection platform capable of identifying incoming drones — particularly Iranian-made Shahed drones — from a range of approximately 20 kilometres, giving Emirati forces critical early-warning capability.
In addition, Israel reportedly supplied a version of its ‘Iron Beam’ directed-energy laser defense system, designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and drone threats using high-powered laser beams. The Iron Beam was notably deployed by Israel earlier this year against Hezbollah drone and rocket attacks launched from Lebanese territory, where it demonstrated considerable operational effectiveness.
The report, if confirmed, would represent a significant development in the evolving security architecture of the Middle East, signalling that Israel-Gulf defense cooperation — formalized under the Abraham Accords — has expanded well beyond intelligence sharing into the domain of advanced weapons and defense technology transfers.
Analysts say Iran’s aggressive missile and drone campaign has accelerated a quiet but consequential strategic realignment in the region, drawing Gulf states and Israel into closer military coordination than ever before.
Neither Israel nor the United Arab Emirates has issued an official confirmation or denial of the claims.