The Biden administration will temporarily send U.S. troops and a ground-based interceptor that shoots down ballistic missiles to Israel to bolster its defenses against Iran, a U.S. official confirmed to 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 will head with the missile defense system to Israel.
Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed the deployment in a statement later released to the media, saying the THAAD will “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 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 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.
