The United States will send a missile defense system and troops to operate it to Israel to help defend against Iran

WASHINGTON — The United States will send a high-altitude area defense terminal battery to Israel, along with the troops needed to operate it, the Pentagon said Sunday, even as Iran warned Washington to maintain U.S. military forces outside Israel.

Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, said in a statement that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorized the deployment of the THAAD battery at the direction of President Joe Biden. He said the system would help strengthen Israel's air defense following Iranian ballistic missile attacks on Israel in April and October.

The delivery of the sophisticated missile defense system risks further inflaming the conflict in the Middle East, despite widespread diplomatic efforts to avoid all-out war. The Iranian warning appeared in a post on the social platform X long associated with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who noted earlier reports that the United States was considering the deployment.

Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon have clashed since October 8, 2023, when the Lebanese militant group began firing rockets over the border in support of its ally Hamas in Gaza. Late last month, Israel launched a ground invasion into Lebanon.

It is widely believed that Israel is preparing a military response to the October 1 Iranian attack, which fired around 180 missiles at Israel.

In a brief exchange with reporters before leaving Florida on Sunday, Biden said he agreed to deploy the THAAD battery to defend Israel. Biden spoke at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa after making a quick visit to view the damage caused by Hurricane Milton and meet with first responders, residents and local leaders.

Ryder, in his statement, said the deployment “underscores the United States' unwavering commitment to the defense of Israel and the defense of Americans in Israel against any further ballistic missile attacks from Iran.” .

It was not immediately clear where the THAAD battery was coming from or when it would arrive. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli army spokesman, declined to provide a specific date for his arrival but thanked the United States for its support.

The United States deployed one of the batteries to the Middle East along with additional Patriot battalions to bolster protection of U.S. forces in the region late last year following the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas militants. Ryder also said the United States sent a THAAD battery to Israel in 2019 for training.

It is also not unusual for the United States to have a limited number of troops in Israel, which it considers a key regional ally. There have generally been a small number of forces on site, along with routine rotational deployments for training and exercises.

THAAD will add another layer to Israel's already significant air defense, which includes distinct systems designed to intercept long-, medium-, and short-range threats. Israel recently retired its U.S.-made Patriot systems after decades of use.

According to an April report from the Congressional Research Service, the Army has seven THAAD batteries. Typically, each consists of six truck-mounted launchers, 48 ​​interceptors, radio and radar equipment and requires 95 troops to operate.

The THAAD is considered a complementary system to the Patriot, but it can defend a wider area. It can hit targets at ranges of 150 to 200 kilometers (93 to 124 miles) and is used to destroy short-, medium- and limited-range ballistic missile threats that are located inside or outside of the atmosphere.

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is responsible for developing the system, but it is operated by the military. An eighth system has been funded and ordered and is expected to be operational next year.

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Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Aamer Madhani in Tampa, Florida, and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

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