U.S. Is Sending Antimissile System to Israel to Bolster Defenses Against Iran
The move comes as U.S. and Israel are holding talks on a possible Israeli attack on Iran
The Biden administration is planning to send an advanced antimissile system to Israel along with American troops to operate it, moving to bolster its top Middle East ally’s defenses, U.S. officials said Sunday.
The deployment of the Thaad system, a ground-based interceptor designed to shoot down ballistic missiles, would mark 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 strike on Iran. U.S. officials have urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government not to target Iran’s oil facilities and nuclear sites.
If Iran responded to the planned Israeli strike with an attack on Israel, it would be the third instance of Tehran hitting Israeli territory this year.
The soldiers, just under 100 troops in all, would man the system, a rare U.S. deployment to Israel. How quickly the Pentagon can move the system to Israel wasn’t immediately clear.
The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.