Speaking at the Tel Aviv Conference in Tel Aviv, Huckabee said Israel had assisted the UAE’s air defenses amid heightened regional tensions and ongoing uncertainty surrounding the fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel.

“Israel just sent them Iron Dome batteries and personnel to help operate them,” Huckabee said, praising the UAE as the first Gulf state to normalize relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords.
The UAE did not immediately comment on Huckabee’s remarks.

The disclosure underscores increasingly open military coordination between Israel and Gulf Arab states that share concerns over Iran’s regional influence and missile capabilities.

Regional tensions remain elevated despite the current ceasefire, with concerns continuing over security in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil shipping route long viewed as vulnerable to disruption during confrontations involving Tehran.

Huckabee also expressed optimism that additional Middle Eastern countries could join the Abraham Accords, which established formal diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab states, including Bahrain.

The accords, brokered in 2020, reshaped regional alignments by fostering economic, diplomatic and security ties between Israel and Arab governments concerned about Iran’s expanding influence.

However, broader normalization efforts across the Arab world have been complicated by Israel’s military operations following the Hamas-led attacks in 2023 and the continuing conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.

Huckabee said Gulf governments increasingly viewed Iran, rather than Israel, as the more immediate regional security threat.

The call, placed at President Trump’s request, comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following a major terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam region on April 22. Expressing condolences, Trump reiterated America’s support for India’s fight against terrorism — a sentiment welcomed by New Delhi as India continues its military operation, codenamed Operation Sindoor.

During the conversation, Prime Minister Modi provided a detailed account of India’s calibrated strikes on Pakistani terror camps and military positions conducted on the nights of May 6–7 and May 9–10. These operations, Modi emphasized, were “measured, precise, and non-escalatory”, yet effective enough to force Pakistan to request a cessation of hostilities.

Crucially, Modi made it clear that India regards this conflict not as a proxy war, but as a full-fledged confrontation against a terrorism-exporting state. “India does not and will never accept mediation,” he told President Trump, firmly dismissing any suggestion of third-party involvement or backdoor diplomacy — a position reflecting strong national consensus within India.

Trump reportedly inquired whether Modi could visit the U.S. on his way back from Canada, but scheduling constraints made such a stop unfeasible. However, both leaders agreed to reschedule a bilateral meeting soon.

The call also touched upon pressing global flashpoints, notably the Iran-Israel standoff. Modi and Trump shared serious concerns over Tehran’s destabilizing activities in the region. The leaders also reviewed developments in the Russia-Ukraine war, advocating for diplomacy but with clarity on red lines.

Turning toward the Indo-Pacific, Modi reiterated India’s strong commitment to the QUAD alliance, inviting Trump to visit India for the next QUAD Summit. Trump welcomed the invitation, reaffirming the importance of U.S.-India partnership in maintaining regional balance and confronting shared security challenges.

This conversation marked the first formal engagement between the two leaders following the terror attacks, and it signals a growing alignment between New Delhi and Washington on counter-terrorism, strategic deterrence, and geopolitical stability.