The Biden administration announced Sunday the U.S. military will deploy a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and an “associated crew of U.S. military” personnel to aid Israel following the most recent attacks from Iran, according to a press release.
With tensions in the Middle East escalating over the past year, Iran launched approximately 200 missiles into Israel on Oct. 1, retaliating for multiple assassinations of Iran’s terror proxy leaders. In a press statement released by Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed the aid to Israel at the direction of Secretary Lloyd Austin, noting that the action “underscores the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel.”
The THAAD, an anti-missile system, is designed to “defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran,” according to the press statement, and serves as a ground-based interceptor that effectively shoots down ballistic missiles. Though the U.S. previously sent a THAAD battery to Israel in 2019, and again in 2023 following a terrorist attack, it has not deployed one since, the press statement stated.
“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, who played a role in the country’s 2015 nuclear deal, took to X on Sunday to criticize U.S. involvement with Israel.
“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.
While it remains unclear whether Israel plans to counterattack following Iran’s strike on Oct. 1, 100 U.S. troops will reportedly join the missile defense system, according to CBS News.
Featured Image Credit: European Security & Defense
