100 U.S. soldiers to operate advanced anti-ballistic missile system on Israel soil, ahead of potential Iranian attack.
By World Israel News Staff
The U.S. officially confirmed that it will transfer an advanced anti-ballistic missile air defense system to Israel, as well as deploy some 100 American troops to the Jewish state in order to operate the system.
“At the direction of the President, Secretary Austin authorized the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and associated crew of U.S. military personnel to Israel to help bolster Israel’s air defenses following Iran’s unprecedented attacks against Israel on April 13 and again on October 1,” read a media statement attributed to Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
“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 added.
“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 statement noted that this is not the first time that the U.S. has authorized the use of THAAD in the region, referencing a joint exercise between the U.S. and Israel in 2019 during which the system was activated. More recently, the U.S. deployed a THAAD to the Middle East immediately following the October 7th Hamas onslaught, though the statement did not specify exactly where the system had been transferred.
According to a Ynet report, the THAAD placed in Israel will be able to receive critical information from other THAAD systems in the region, including in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The decision to provide Israel with THAAD may indicate that Washington is anticipating a major Israeli strike on Iran, which would be met with significant retaliation by the Islamic Republic.
On October 1st, Tehran launched some 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, in what is believed to be one of the largest aerial attacks of its kind in history.