Several Arab Gulf states are reportedly negotiating to buy a version of the Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system, with the United States quietly helping negotiate the deal.
The member nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—are negotiating the purchase of the system, which has reduced the effectiveness of rockets fired from Gaza into Israel by about 90 per cent, to defend against “a growing arsenal of Iranian missiles.”
If a deal is negotiated, it will likely include longer-range interceptor missiles such as David’s Sling, Arrow I, and Arrow II, which can intercept supersonic intercontinental ballistic missiles. Such a deal could be worth billions of dollars, according to Sky News.
“The Israelis have their small Iron Dome. We’ll have a much bigger one in the GCC,” said Khalid bin Mohammed al Khalifa, Bahrain’s foreign minister.
“Iran has been trying to undermine and topple government in our region for years,” he added.
