Israel refuses to sell Iron Dome to UAE over Iran rapprochement

Israel rejected a proposed arms deal from the United Arab Emirates due to recent rapprochement with Iran, an Israeli newspaper revealed on Sunday.

The refusal to sell the UAE the Iron Dome and what is known as David’s Sling, both used to intercept short-range and winged missiles, came after the Gulf state allowed Iranians to "enter and move freely in its territory," reported Israel Hayom.

The purchase value of the defence system amounted to billions of dollars, the newspaper said.

Israel, however, does fear that the UAE could resort to blackmailing through exploiting Israeli fears from Iran, the paper reported, adding that Abu Dhabi could bolster its ties with Tehran to pressure Israel into accepting the deal.

The Israeli daily spoke of Israeli and Western dissatisfaction with the UAE over helping Iran to bypass economic sanctions by doing trade with Tehran.

Iranian officials are also using Emirati banks to carry out their business and all this is happening "without the UAE government moving a finger", according to Israel Hayom.

Long-time rivals Iran and the UAE have held talks recently in a bid to overcome their long-standing differences and increase cooperation.

This has worried Israel, which normalised its ties last year with the UAE.

The two countries have since moved quickly to increase cooperation in various fields including arms, trade, tourism and more. Last month, Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems opened a branch in the UAE.