Intel: US conducts separate military drills with UAE, Israel despite coronavirus

The United States conducted military exercises with Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) today and Monday despite the global coronavirus pandemic.

The Associated Press reported that American and Emirati forces went ahead with the biennial Native Fury exercise on Monday, which involved thousands of troops storming an imaginary city at al-Hamra military base in the UAE.

And today, the United States and Israeli air forces went ahead with a joint exercise involving F-35 fighter jets. Israel permitted the drill despite the country-wide quarantine because it involved no physical ground contact.

Why it matters: The UAE exercise, which takes place every two years, was carried out less than 200 miles from Iran, where tensions have boiled over in recent months following the US strike that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Iraq earlier this year. The area where al-Hamra base lies is also home to vast oil reserves and a nuclear power plant.