US President Joe Biden. Photo: Reuters
The United States announced on Sunday that it will dispatch an advanced anti-missile system to Israel, along with US troops to operate it, in an effort to strengthen the country's air defenses in response to missile attacks by Iran. US President Joe Biden stated that the deployment is intended "to defend Israel." Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder explained that the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery will enhance Israel's integrated air defense system.
"This move is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, aimed at supporting the defense of Israel and safeguarding Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias," Ryder said in a statement. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi cautioned earlier on Sunday that the United States was endangering the lives of its troops by deploying them to operate US missile systems in Israel.
"Despite our significant efforts in recent days to prevent an all-out war in our region, I make it clear that we have no red lines in defending our people and interests," Araqchi posted on X. Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel in April. Then on October 1, Iran fired over 180 ballistic missiles at Israel amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. While many were intercepted, some managed to penetrate the missile defenses.
