As tensions continue to rise in the Middle East following Iran’s most recent attack on Israel, President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he had instructed Defense Department Secretary Lloyd Austin to send 100 troops and a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense ( THAAD ) missile defense system to Israel.  ,
Following Iran’s unprecedented attacks against Israel on April 13 and again on October 1, the Pentagon’s Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder stated in a statement released on Sunday that” Secretary Austin authorized the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense ( THAAD ) battery and associated crew of U.S. military personnel to Israel.”
Ryder explained that the implementation of the THAAD missile defense system may “augment” Israel’s already in place air defense system in the region. He further explained that the Pentagon’s news demonstrates the “ironclad devotion” of the United States to “defend Americans in Israel” from further ballistic missile strikes by Iran.
According to the Pentagon’s hit minister, the implementation of the THAAD missile defense system alongside 100 U. S. forces is the latest in a series of “broader changes” the U. S. government has made over the past few months to protect Americans and protect Israel against “attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias”.
Less: In response to rising tensions, thousands of US troops are stationed in the Middle East.
In a statement from the Pentagon on Sunday, Ryder said,” This is not the first day the United States has deployed a THAAD power to the place.” Following the attacks on October 7th, the president ordered the military to send a THAAD device to the Middle East to protect American forces and interests there. A THAAD power was recently deployed to Israel in 2019 for education and an built-in air defense training.
The THAAD missile defense system is meant to defend against ballistic missile attacks, similar to the Iranian assault on Israel that Iran late attempted. If Iran responds to Israel’s anticipated retribution strike with another attack, the THAAD missile defense system may significantly assist Israel, according to the outlet.
The Pentagon’s decision to deploy U.S. soldiers inside Israel is unusual, according to CNN, but the outlet claimed that 100 soldiers are the most frequently deployed U.S. forces for the THAAD missile defense system.
According to Fox News, when asked why he directed the implementation of the anti-ballistic missile defense system, Biden answered,” To support Israel”.