U.S. to send air defense system and troops to Israel to aid defense against Iran

The United States will send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery to Israel, along with the troops needed to operate it, the Pentagon said Sunday

A recent report from U.S. media states that President Biden has directed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to deploy a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery along with its crew to Israel, as confirmed by Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Ryder in a statement.

The deployment comes after two direct missile attacks from Iran against Israel on April 13 and Oct. 1. Israel has not yet responded to the latest missile attack.

“This action underscores the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran,” Ryder said in the statement.

The move puts U.S. troops closer to a growing and unfolding military conflict in the Middle East.

The U.S. previously sent the THAAD system to Israel for training in 2019 as well as shortly after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that left around 1,200 dead.

Separately, the Trump administration ordered parts of THAAD to South Korea in 2017 as a counter against North Korean missile attacks. At the time, China opposed the deployment, saying the system’s radar could provide a new way to spy on its military and that THAAD missiles could undercut China’s nuclear deterrent.