US to send anti-missile system and troops to Israel, Pentagon says
(VOVWORLD) - The United States said on Sunday it will send U.S. troops to Israel along with an advanced US anti-missile system, in a highly unusual deployment meant to bolster the country's air defenses following missile attacks by Iran.
 The US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system is tested on Wake Island in the Pacific. (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
US President Joe Biden said the move was meant "to defend Israel," which is weighing an expected retaliation against Iran after Tehran fired more than 180 missiles at Israel on Oct 1.
Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder described the deployment as part of "the broader adjustments the US military has made in recent months" to support Israel and defend US personnel from attacks.
The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, is a critical part of the US military's layered air defense systems and adds to Israel's already formidable anti-missile defenses. A THAAD battery usually requires about 100 troops to operate.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned earlier on Sunday that the United States was putting the lives of its troops "at risk by deploying them to operate US missile systems in Israel."