US sends THAAD missile system and personnel to boost Israel's air defence
The US has sent a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to Israel to bolster the country's air defence.
It will be accompanied by an associated crew of US military personnel, assisting the country against Iran's ballistic missile attacks on it.
THAAD, which is a critical part of the United States' layered air defence systems, usually requires about 100 troops to operate it.
US officials did not say how quickly the system would be deployed to Israel, but it is not the first time it has been sent there – it was used in southern Israel for drills in 2019, the last and only time it was known to be there.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned the US it was putting the lives of its troops "at risk by deploying them to operate US missile systems in Israel".
"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," he said in a post on X.
The deployment of THAAD was described by President Joe Biden as a move meant to defend Israel, with the US privately urging Israel to gauge its response to Iranian attacks to avoid triggering a wider conflict in the Middle East, according to officials.
Mr Biden has publicly opposed an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear sites, as well as voicing his concerns about a strike on Iran's energy infrastructure.
A Pentagon spokesperson said the move to send THAAD to Israel was part of "broader adjustments the US military has made in recent months" to support Israel and defend US personnel from attacks by Iran and Iranian-backed groups.
However, the US deploying to Israel outside of military drills is rare, considering Israel's own military capabilities.
While US troops, warships and fighter jets have assisted Israel in recent months, they were based outside of the country.
THAAD, which is built by Lockheed Martin, the biggest arms maker in the US, is designed to shoot down short, medium and intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
It is made up of six truck-mounted launchers, which come with eight interceptors on each launcher, as well as a powerful radar.
Experts say Iran is looking to avoid a direct war with the US, making the deployment of US forces to Israel another factor in its calculus going forward.
The move comes after Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel in April. And on 1 October, Iran fired more than 180 ballistic missiles at the country.
It marked another escalation in fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Many of the missiles were intercepted in flight, but some penetrated Israeli defences.
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