The U.S. Department of Defense announced on the 13th that it would additionally deploy THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) batteries and related U.S. military personnel to Israel.
In a statement released that day, Department of Defense spokesman Pat Ryder said, “At the direction of the President, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin approved the deployment.” He continued, “This action underscores the ironclad commitment of the United States to defend Israel from additional ballistic missile attacks by Iran and to protect Americans in Israel.” “This action is part of a broader set of measures taken by the U.S. military in recent months to support Israel’s defense and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iran-linked militias,” Ryder added.
Iran retaliated by launching a barrage of ballistic missiles against Israel on April 13 and October 1. During the April attack, 99 percent of the missiles were intercepted by Israel’s multi-layered missile defense system known as the Iron Dome, causing little damage. However, there have been claims that up to 32 of the missiles fired by Iran during the October attack fell on roads near the Nevatim Air Base in southern Israel, exposing some vulnerabilities.
U.S. President Joe Biden ordered the deployment of THAAD batteries after the Palestinian armed group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 last year, which triggered the Gaza War.
The U.S. military also deployed THAAD to Israel in 2019 for integrated air defense training.