Israel has claimed that it sent the Iron Dome system and dozens of Israeli soldiers to the UAE during the recent Iran-Iraq war.

The Jerusalem Post and other media outlets reported the move by Israel on April 26. At the time, the report was attributed to “foreign sources,” but Israeli Transport Minister Mari Reggio has now publicly confirmed the report.

Several Israeli officials said that the decision to send the Iron Dome battery and interceptors followed a telephone conversation between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed.

If the Israeli officials’ claim is correct, it would be the first time that Israel’s Iron Dome has been used operationally outside of Israel.