U.S. military deploying THAAD anti-missile system to Israel to bolster defenses against possible Iran attack
The Biden administration is temporarily sending Israel a ground-based interceptor system that shoots down ballistic missiles, along with a small contingent of U.S. forces, to bolster the country's defenses against a potential Iranian missile attack, a U.S. official told CBS News on Sunday.
The deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system is described as a way to "strengthen Israel's defenses against ballistic missiles" and "any future ballistic missile attack from Iran."
A U.S. official told CBS News that around 100 troops would go to Israel along with the missile defense system.
Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed the deployment in a subsequent statement, saying the THAAD system would "augment Israel's integrated air defense system" following Iran's "unprecedented attacks" on April 13 and on October 1." He said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorized the deployment of the THAAD battery at the direction of President Biden.
"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," he said. "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."
In another statement on Tuesday, Ryder said "an advance team of U.S. military personnel and initial components necessary to operate" the THAAD battery had arrived in Israel on Monday, and that additional U.S. forces and components for the defense system would continue to arrive in the coming days.
"The battery will be fully operational capable in the near future, but for operations security reasons we will not discuss timelines," Ryder said.
In a brief exchange with reporters before leaving Florida on Sunday, Mr. Biden said he'd agreed to deploy the THAAD battery "to defend Israel." He spoke at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa after making a quick visit to see the damage caused by Hurricane Milton and meet with first responders, residents and local leaders.
Earlier Sunday, Iran appeared to warn the U.S. to keep its military forces out of Israel.
The comments came in a post on the social platform X that has long been associated with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who helped reach Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
In the message, Araghchi referred to the U.S. potentially sending one of its THAAD systems to Israel. Any move of one of the systems, known by the acronym THAAD, to Israel would involve the deployment of soldiers to operate the complex system.
"The US has been delivering record amount of arms to Israel," the X message read. "It is now also putting lives of its troops at risk by deploying them to operate US missile systems in Israel."
It added: "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."
Iran's Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request from the Associated Press for comment on the remarks, which were carried by Iranian state media.
Israel is widely believed to be planning to attack Iran over its missile barrage on Israel earlier this month, the AP reported. It was Iran's second direct attack on Israel during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war that's widened to Lebanon and involved other Iranian-backed militant groups in the region.
The U.S. previously sent a THAAD to the Mideast last year after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas in Israel and then temporarily sent a THAAD to Israel in 2019 for military exercises.