President Biden said the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery was meant “to defend Israel,” following Iran’s barrage of 180 ballistic missiles aimed at the country on Oct. 1. The U.S. ally is now weighing a retaliatory strike.
The Pentagon has described the deployment as part of larger 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” groups in the region, according to press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
But a U.S. military deployment to Israel is unusual, with American troops generally aiding its ally’s defenses from Navy ships and fighter jets based outside the country — as it did when Iran attacked earlier this month as well as in April.
Defense experts believe the move could be an attempt to defuse tensions, as it might deter both Israel and Iran from larger retaliatory strikes.
“It might bind Israel from taking extreme steps, knowing that by doing so, they might [put] U.S. troops in harm’s way,” said Eugene Finkel, a professor of international affairs at Johns Hopkins University.
The deployment also signals to the Iranians that “now they will have to deal with this extra layer of protection,” he added.
THAAD, one of the most prized U.S. defense systems, can take out short, medium and intermediate-range ballistic missiles and is a critical part of the U.S. military’s layered air defenses. It includes six truck-mounted launchers carrying eight interceptors each, a radar to detect incoming threats and usually takes 100 troops to operate.
It’s not clear when it will deploy in Israel, but its announcement comes as the country is considering a response to Tehran for its missile attack. The Washington Post reported Monday that Israel will not strike nuclear or oil sites and will instead aim for Iranian military targets, but that could still provoke a large response form Tehran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in a “more moderated place” in that discussion than he had previously been, the U.S. official told The Post, describing the call between the two leaders. The apparent softening of the prime minister’s stance factored into Biden’s decision to send a powerful missile defense system to Israel, both officials told the outlet.
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
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