Israel categorically denied a report Thursday claiming that Saudi Arabia has purchased the Iron Dome missile defense system and is working to reach an agreement on broad military cooperation with the Jewish State.
That was reported by the i24NEWS.
Early, the Emirati news website Al-Khaleej has released the report that Saudi Arabia has purchased the Iron Dome missile defense system from Israel to defend itself from missile attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Al-Khaleej Online mentioned that a “high-level diplomatic source” told the news outlet that at first Israel refused to sell the Iron Dome to an Arab nation; following US interventions and additional guarantees of not posing security danger to Israel and the region, the deal was reached.
But there was no confirmation by Saudi officials, and Israeli security officials strongly denied the report.
An Israeli defense official denied the report, which was also unconfirmed by Saudi officials.
Also, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, which produces the Iron Dome system, has repeatedly denied reports of the sale.
The Iron Dome is a mobile all-weather air defense system developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries.
The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired from distances of 2.5 mi to 43 mi away and whose trajectory would take them to a populated area.