Congress wants Pentagon to bolster Arab, Israeli air defenses against Iran
The Abraham Accords could enable Israel to share missile defense technology with Arab Gulf countries in a joint defensive architecture against Iran.
Bipartisan legislation introduced in Congress today would require the Pentagon to present a strategy for integrating the air defense capabilities of Israel and Arab states in order to counter ballistic missile and other projectile threats from Iran and its proxies.
The bill, led in the Senate by Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), mandates a report on the Pentagon’s plans be presented to lawmakers no later than 180 days after its passage.
Why it Matters: US Central Command has sought to support efforts by Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to knit together seams in their air defense capabilities as Iran has rapidly developed its own offensive missiles and drones in recent years.
Iran’s proxies have repeatedly struck Saudi Arabia with drones and both ballistic and cruise missiles amid the Riyadh-led campaign against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. At the same time, the US has withdrawn a number of its own air defense batteries from the Gulf as Washington shifts strategic focus to countering the military and economic rise of China. Such decisions have increased friction between Washington and its Gulf allies.
