Jordan allowed Israeli fighter jets into its airspace on Saturday to intercept incoming Iranian missiles and suicide drones, reports NBC.
“In order to address something that comes from the east, we need to fly somewhere that is east of Israel,” an Israeli Air Force official said, as quoted by NBC. “This was done with coordination.”
The Hashemite Kingdom was not the only regional Arab country that helped keep Israel safe on Saturday night.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) passed on intelligence about Iran’s plans and provided vital information that was key to thwarting the massive assault.
Following an alleged Israeli strike that killed a senior Iranian commander in early April, US officials began pressuring Middle-East Arab countries about Iran’s plans for revenge plans and demanded support in countering any strikes. Some Arab nations reportedly hesitated to cooperate, concerned about Iranian repercussions for supporting Israel.
Eventually, Jordan permitted the use of its airspace by US and Israeli military aircraft. While Saudi Arabia and the UAE eventually agreed to share intelligence discreetly. The full role these Arab countries played was “being kept quiet” by the leaders of their respective governments, according to the WSJ report.
