The US Department of Defense announced on Sunday that Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin had authorised the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) “battery and associated crew of US military personnel to Israel” to help boost Tel Aviv’s air defences.
“The THAAD Battery will augment Israel’s integrated air defense system. 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,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
The announcement comes less than two weeks after Iran fired a barrage of missiles at Israel on October 1 in retaliation for the assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders and an Iranian general.
Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have vowed to retaliate — spurring fears that the Middle East could be dragged into an all-out regional war.
Iranian officials warn Tehran will give a stronger response to any Israeli attack, stressing the regime can once again test the Islamic Republic’s will.
It is unclear when exactly the US’s THAAD system will be deployed to Israel.
While the US has said it favours diplomacy and a de-escalation in the region, critics have noted that Washington offers Israel unwavering military and diplomatic support.
The US provides Israel with at least $3.8bn in military aid annually, and the Biden administration has authorised $14bn in further assistance to its ally since the Israeli military began its war on the Gaza Strip in October of last year.
Israel also recently expanded its bombing campaign in Lebanon, after exchanging fire with Lebanese group Hezbollah across the Israel-Lebanon border for months.
Yet despite growing concerns over a widening war, the Biden administration has rebuffed calls to suspend weapons transfers to Israel to pressure Tel Aviv to end the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
Tel Aviv already uses three integrated missile defence systems to intercept incoming rockets and missiles fired towards Israel.
The US previously deployed a THAAD battery to Israel in 2019 for training and an air defence exercise, the Pentagon noted on Sunday.
Biden also directed the military to send one to the Middle East “to defend American troops and interests in the region” after last year’s October 7 attacks by Hamas on southern Israel.
