The Biden administration is sending an advanced antimissile system to Israel along with American troops to operate it, moving to bolster its top Middle East ally’s defenses against an Iranian attack, the Pentagon said Sunday.
The deployment of the Thaad system, a ground-based interceptor designed to shoot down ballistic missiles, marks a significant step in American efforts to directly protect Israel against an enemy attack by putting U.S. soldiers on the ground.
The move comes as U.S. and Israeli officials have been holding talks on a planned Israeli strike on Iran. U.S. officials have urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government not to target Iran’s oil facilities and nuclear sites.
President Biden’s decision to approve the deployment came after extensive discussions among U.S. officials and with Israel over the country’s expected military response to Iran and how Tehran might retaliate. Asked on Sunday about the move, Biden said he did it “to defend Israel.”
The decision to send the antimissile system wasn’t specifically conditioned on Israel avoiding certain more provocative targets. But it was “part of a broader discussion on how to handle the situation,” according to a senior U.S. official. Israel hasn’t commented on the requests to avoid those targets.
The U.S. deployment to Israel is a rare move and a visible demonstration of the Biden administration’s support for its Middle East ally a month before the U.S. presidential election. Like Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris has emphasized her support for Israel, calling it “unwavering” earlier this month.
American officials say that the deployment of the Thaad will augment Israel’s antimissile defense against a sizable Iranian missile threat and give the U.S. more flexibility in deploying its ballistic missile defense destroyers.
Thaad stands for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense and is operated by the U.S. Army. A typical Thaad battery is crewed by nearly 100 soldiers and consists of six truck mounted launchers, a transportable radar and a fire control unit.
It is designed to intercept missiles inside or outside the atmosphere during the final phase of flight, according to the Congressional Research Service. A Thaad system purchased by the United Arab Emirates intercepted a Houthi missile in January 2022, marking the first time that the system has been used successfully in combat.
If Iran responded to the planned Israeli strike with a counterattack on Israel, it would be the third instance of Tehran hitting Israeli territory this year.
How quickly the Pentagon can move the system to Israel wasn’t immediately clear. The administration didn’t say when the Thaad would be in place.
Doubling the number of fighter planes in the Middle East and sending the THAAD to Israel is a double-edged sword. It’s meant to defend Israel and restrain Iran. But it could also embolden Israel into taking more risks, undermining Biden’s purported attempts toward deescalation.
— Daniel DePetris (@DanDePetris) October 13, 2024
In a statement Sunday, the Pentagon said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had ordered the antimissile system to Israel at Biden’s direction “following Iran’s unprecedented attacks against Israel on April 13 and again on October 1.”
The statement added: “This action underscores the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran.”
The U.S. decision comes after Iran shot roughly 180 ballistic missiles into Israel in response to an Israeli airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Of course, you can make the case that, rhetoric aside, Biden doesn’t seem all that interested in deescalation given the blank check he has given Netanyahu. Based on some of policy choices Washington has made to date, it’s an entirely legitimate argument.
— Daniel DePetris (@DanDePetris) October 13, 2024
Some of the missiles, which targeted Israeli military and intelligence sites, penetrated Israel’s antimissile defenses, raising fears that should Iran attack again, it might inflict serious damage. Iran’s Oct. 1 strikes led to minor damage at one Israeli military air base, but no aircraft were damaged.
U.S. warships in the Mediterranean shot down ballistic missiles when Iran attacked Israel in April and earlier this month. The U.S. used F-15E and F-16 warplanes to intercept Iranian drones during Iran’s attack in April.
The Thaad would provide a ground-based defense in Israel, deepening American involvement in its defense.
“Thaad has been proven in combat operationally and has a great test record,” said Tom Karako, an expert on missile defense at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington. “It would provide additional capabilities.”
The U.S. temporarily sent a Thaad missile defense battery in 2019 to Israel as part of an exercise that the U.S. military said demonstrated Washington’s “continued commitment to Israel’s regional security.”
Israel has become increasingly dependent on the U.S. military to bolster its defenses against Iran’s sizable missile threat and that of the militant groups Tehran supports. The deployment of U.S. ships, planes and personnel has been intended to head off an all-out war in the region. But it has strained American military efforts to tackle threats from Russia and China, particularly its future ship deployment plans.
During the Persian Gulf War in 1991, U.S. troops sent Patriot antimissile batteries to Israel, which were operated by American and Israeli crews, to defend the country against Iraq’s Scud missiles.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
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