The Pentagon announced on Sunday that President Joe Biden had directed Defense Department Secretary Lloyd Austin to deploy a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system and 100 troops to Israel as tension continues to build in the Middle East following Iran’s recent attack against Israel.
In a statement released on Sunday, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said, “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.”
Ryder explained that the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system would help “augment” Israel’s existing air defense system in the region, adding that the Pentagon’s announcement demonstrates the “ironclad commitment” of the United States to “the defense of Israel” and to “defend Americans in Israel” from additional ballistic missile attacks by Iran.
According to the Pentagon’s press secretary, the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system alongside 100 U.S. troops is the latest in a series of “broader adjustments” the U.S. military has made over the past few months to protect Americans and defend Israel against “attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias.”
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“This is not the first time the United States has deployed a THAAD battery to the region,” Ryder said in Sunday’s statement from the Pentagon. “The President directed the military to deploy a THAAD battery to the Middle East last year following the October 7th attacks to defend American troops and interests in the region. The United States previously deployed a THAAD battery to Israel in 2019 for training and an integrated air defense exercise.”
According to CNN, the THAAD missile defense system is designed to protect against ballistic missile threats like the attack Iran recently attempted against Israel. The outlet noted that the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system could significantly help Israel defend itself if Iran responds to Israel’s expected retaliation strike with another attack.
While CNN reported that the deployment of U.S. troops inside Israel is a rare move for the Pentagon, the outlet said 100 troops is the typical number of U.S. troops deployed for the operation of the THAAD missile defense system.
According to Fox News, when asked why he directed the deployment of the anti-ballistic missile defense system, Biden answered, “To defend Israel.”
