Report: UAE Deploys Israeli Iron Dome Radar in Somalia to Track Yemeni Attacks on Israel

Reports indicate that the United Arab Emirates has positioned an Israeli military radar system in Puntland, Somalia. The stated purpose of this deployment is to track anti-Israel attacks originating from Yemen, which are reportedly being conducted in solidarity with Palestinians facing what is described as genocide in Gaza.

Satellite imagery from early March reveals the presence of an Israeli-manufactured ELM-2084 3D Active Electronically Scanned Array Multi-Mission Radar near the Bosaso airport. This radar is identified as a component of Israel’s Iron Dome defense system.

This week, the US-based Watan newspaper cited sources stating that the radar’s objective is to monitor strikes launched by Yemeni forces against Israeli interests in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

According to Watan’s sources, this deployment suggests that Abu Dhabi is undertaking a monitoring and protective role for Tel Aviv from within African territory.

The same sources also allege that the UAE is mediating discussions for the establishment of an Israeli military base in Somaliland, a region that declared independence from Mogadishu in 1991. This facilitation is reportedly in exchange for promises of international recognition for Somaliland, which is strategically located on the Gulf of Aden.

Last year, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Israel, with the backing of the UAE, intends to establish a military base in Somaliland as a countermeasure against Yemeni forces.

On Thursday, Middle East Eye also quoted a regional source confirming that the radar system was deployed at the Bosaso airport in late 2024.