Two Israeli delegations head to UAE as strategic ties deepen after Iran war

Two Israeli delegations will travel to the United Arab Emirates next week for trade and transportation talks, underscoring the growing strategic partnership between the two countries following their cooperation during the recent war with Iran, an unnamed Israeli official told AFP on Monday.

One delegation, led by Israel's Transport Ministry, is expected to meet with Emirati counterparts to discuss trade and regional connectivity initiatives. Speaking on condition of anonymity, an Emirati official confirmed that the two countries intend to discuss establishing a trade corridor linking India to Europe via the Middle East.

The visits come as relations between Israel and the UAE have deepened following the Iran conflict, during which Israel reportedly provided military assistance to help defend the Gulf state against Iranian missile and drone attacks, including the deployment of an Iron Dome air-defense battery.

Officials from both countries are now looking to expand cooperation beyond security matters into trade, transportation, and regional infrastructure projects.

“This presents an opportunity to enhance ties. We believe in this market… We believe people should come. There’s a lot of opportunity for cooperation,” a senior Israeli official stated. “The enhancement in cooperation will grow further, not only in military cooperation.”

That support appears to have left a lasting impression on Emirati leaders.

“Israel proved itself a true friend of the UAE when other countries didn’t. Israel came to stand side-by-side… in a country like the UAE, it matters,” the Emirati official explained.

In April, a senior unnamed Emirati official told Axios that the country would not forget that the Jewish state sent a manned Iron Dome aerial defense battery to the UAE as the country came under Iranian drone and rocket attacks.

"We are not going to forget it," the UAE official said.

Iran fired some 550 missiles and more than 2,000 drones at the UAE during the war.

Some UAE officials are reportedly disappointed by what they view as insufficient support from neighboring Arab states during the conflict. Tareq Alotaiba, a former UAE official and current fellow at Harvard University's Belfer Center's Middle East Initiative, identified Israel and the United States as the UAE's most reliable allies.

“Primarily, the United States and Israel have proved to be true allies by offering support through extensive military aid, intelligence sharing, and diplomatic backing,” Alotaiba said.

Israeli officials say the appreciation is mutual, praising the UAE for maintaining a firm stance toward Iran despite regional pressure.

“They’re very brave with the position that they took. [Other countries] just want to bounce back to what was before they were attacked,” one official assessed. “I don’t say attack back, but don’t bury your heads in the sand.”

Most Arab states did not respond militarily to the Iranian missile and drone attacks. In contrast, The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the UAE conducted military strikes against Iranian targets with support from U.S. and Israeli intelligence.

The UAE has not officially confirmed carrying out strikes on Iranian targets in response to the attacks on its territory. However, the reported operations allegedly contributed to tensions with Saudi Arabia.

While Iran also targeted Saudi Arabia, Riyadh reportedly signaled to Washington that it preferred a diplomatic solution and urged the Trump administration to curb the UAE's military actions against Iranian assets.

Israel and the UAE established full diplomatic relations in 2020 under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords.

U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to expand the Abraham Accords are reportedly facing pushback from Saudi Arabia and other Arab states that are in no hurry to establish official ties with Jerusalem.

Nevertheless, the Israeli official argued that the strengthening relationship between Israel and the UAE demonstrates “the strength of the Abraham Accords, which hopefully will be expanded and create a more peaceful region.”