The U.S. moved deeper into the Middle East conflict Sunday, announcing that it is sending an advanced missile defense system to Israel and about 100 American troops to operate it.
This is the first time U.S. forces have been deployed in Israel since the Hamas-led attacks a year ago.
President Joe Biden ordered Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to send the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System, or THAAD, and its crew to Israel, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.
When asked about the decision Sunday, Biden said only that he had ordered the Pentagon to deploy the system “to defend Israel.” He declined to answer follow-up questions.
The missile system is a ground-based interceptor designed to defend against ballistic missiles.
Its deployment comes after Iran launched more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on Oct. 1 after an Israeli attack on Beirut killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, with Israel now planning a retaliatory attack on Tehran.
The U.S. is already Israel’s biggest arms supplier and Ryder said in his statement that the battery would “augment Israel’s integrated air defense system.”
The THAAD system is used to shoot down ballistic missiles. It has no warheads and is not used to conduct offensive attacks.
Each THAAD truck-mounted battery can carry up to eight missiles. Israel also has other antimissile defenses, including its Iron Dome system.
