(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports that several Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have provided critical intelligence to help Israel counter a barrage of Iranian kamikaze drone and ballistic missile attacks.
Citing sources from Saudi Arabian, the United States, and Egyptian officials, WSJ outlines the cooperative efforts orchestrated by the U.S., which has sought to foster informal alliances among Arab nations to counter Tehran’s expanding influence.
According to the report, Israel’s success in intercepting Iranian missiles and drones was significantly aided by critical intelligence informations provided by these Gulf nations regarding Iran’s attack plans.
As soon as Iran launched the attacks, they were detected and tracked by powerful radars in the Gulf states, and the intel information about the launches was then relayed to fighter jets in Jordanian and other Arab countries airspace, naval ships, and Israeli air defense systems.
Furthermore, these Arab nations were also reported to have allowed the use of their airspace as well as actively participating in efforts to shoot down the Iranian projectiles.
The report indicates that besides Jordan, several other Arab nations were involved in assisting Israel, a detail the WSJ notes is being downplayed.
According to the American media outlet, two days before the missiles and drones attacks on Israel, Iranian officials reportedly informed their counterparts in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states about the impending actions against the Jewish state.
These nations then relayed the informations to the United States, helping Israel prepare its defenses.
Meanwhile, Jordan’s directive to its fighter jets to shoot down the Iranian missiles and drones targeting Israel has drawn strong condemnation from across the Arab and Muslim world.
Amman which has strong military ties to the United States has not only directed its military aircraft to engage the Iranian threats but has also opened its airspace to Israeli and U.S. fighters to intercept these threats.
The strong reaction from Arab citizens and Muslims worldwide stems from the perception of Jordan as defending Israel while the Jewish forces, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are engaged in military actions in Gaza that have resulted in over 33,000 Palestinian casualties.
The Jordanian government asserts that its actions in intercepting Iranian drones and missiles were taken in self-defense and were not intended to assist Israel.
It maintains that intercepting the Iranian missiles and drones was crucial to ensure the safety of its population and those living in densely populated areas within Jordan. — DSA