The Biden administration announced on Sunday that the U.S. military will deploy a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery along with a contingent of U.S. military personnel to support Israel in light of the recent attacks from Iran, as detailed in a press release.
Amid rising tensions in the Middle East over the past year, Iran launched around 200 missiles at Israel on October 1, in response to the assassination of several leaders associated with Iran’s terror proxies. In a statement issued by Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed this assistance to Israel at the direction of Secretary Lloyd Austin, emphasizing that this action “underscores the United States’ unwavering commitment to Israel’s defense.”
The THAAD system, which is designed to intercept and destroy incoming ballistic missiles, aims to “protect Americans in Israel from any further missile attacks by Iran,” according to the press release. Although the U.S. had previously deployed a THAAD battery to Israel in 2019 and again in 2023 following a terrorist incident, this marks the first deployment since then, as stated in the release.
“The THAAD Battery will augment Israel’s integrated air defense system … It is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias,” the press release states.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, a key figure in the nation’s 2015 nuclear agreement, expressed his discontent regarding U.S. engagement with Israel in a post on X this past Sunday.
“The US has been delivering [a]record amount of arms to Israel. It is now also putting [the]lives of its troops at risk by deploying them to operate US missile systems in Israel. While we have made tremendous efforts in recent days to contain an all-out war in our region, I say it clearly that we have no red lines in defending our people and interests,” Araghchi wrote.
It is currently uncertain if Israel intends to launch a counteroffensive in response to Iran’s attack on October 1. However, CBS News reports that 100 U.S. troops are expected to assist with the missile defense system.
