WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will send a Terminal High Altitude Defense Squadron and troops to Israel, the Pentagon announced Sunday, despite Iran warning Washington to keep U.S. troops away from Israel.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the deployment of the THAAD battery at the direction of President Joe Biden.
Ryder said the system would help strengthen Israel’s air defenses following Iran’s missile attacks on Israel in April and October.
“This action underscores the United States’ unwavering commitment to defending Israel from further ballistic missile attacks by Iran and protecting Americans in Israel,” Ryder said.
Iran’s warning came in a post on a social platform long associated with Foreign Minister Abbas Aragushi, who drew attention to reports that the United States was considering a deployment.
Israel is widely believed to be preparing a military response to the October 1 attack in which Iran fired around 180 missiles at Israel.
It was not immediately clear where the THAAD battery came from. The United States sent one of its companies to the Middle East late last year, along with an additional Patriot battalion, to better protect U.S. forces in the region following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas militants. Ryder also said the United States sent a THAAD company to Israel for training in 2019.
The Army has seven THAAD companies, according to an April Congressional Research Service report. Each typically consisted of six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors, radio and radar equipment, and required 95 soldiers to operate.
THAAD is seen as a complementary system to Patriot, but can defend a wider area. It can attack targets at a range of 150 to 200 kilometers (93 to 124 miles).
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Associated Press writer John Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.
