US sending air defense missile system, more troops to Israel
FILE - The Lockeed Martins THAAD missile defense system is seen during the 3rd annual Made in America product showcase at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, July 15, 2019. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua via Getty) (Xinhua/ via Getty I
The U.S. is sending an air defense missile system to Israel, along with more U.S. troops to operate it, the Pentagon said Sunday.
The air defense missile system being sent was a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery, also known as a THAAD battery.
Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorized the deployment of the THAAD battery at the direction of President Joe Biden.
Ryder said the air defense system will help bolster Israel's air defenses following Iran’s missile attacks on Israel in April and October.
Iran has warned Washington to keep American military forces out of Israel.
In a brief exchange with reporters before leaving Florida on Sunday, Biden said he agreed to deploy the THAAD battery "to defend Israel." Biden spoke at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa after making a quick visit to see the damage caused by Hurricane Milton and meet with first responders, residents and local leaders.
What is THAAD?
According to Lockheed Martin, an American defense and aerospace manufacturer, a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) is a U.S. system designed to intercept targets outside and inside the atmosphere.
It can defend against short, medium and intermediate-range ballistic missile threats. It can hit targets at ranges of 150 to 200 kilometers (93 to 124 miles), according to The Associated Press.
According to an April report by the Congressional Research Service, the Army has seven THAAD batteries. Generally each consists of six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors, radio and radar equipment and required 95 soldiers to operate.
The U.S. deployed one of the batteries to the Middle East along with additional Patriot battalions to bolster protections for U.S. forces in the region late last year after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas militants.
Ryder also said that the U.S. sent a THAAD battery to Israel in 2019 for training.
Why are Israel and Iran attacking each other?
Iran vows 'severe' retaliation for Iran attack
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran would pay for its missile attack against Israel. Israel called Iran's attack a 'sever escalation.' Behnam Ben Taleblu, Senior fellow at Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joins LiveNOW from FOX's Josh Breslow to discuss the latest.
Tensions are rising between Israel and Iran as the war in Gaza stretches on.
The war in Gaza has reached into southern Lebanon and now involves other Iranian-backed militant groups in the region, such as Hezbollah. Israel has been escalating its campaign against Hezbollah with waves of heavy airstrikes across Lebanon and a ground invasion at the border.
On Oct. 1, Iran attacked Israel and fired roughly 180 missiles into the area. It was Iran's second direct attack on Israel.
Israel is widely believed to be preparing a military response.
Iran warns U.S.
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister indirectly threatened U.S. forces potentially operating in Israel in an online post Sunday.
"The US has been delivering record amount of arms to Israel," the X post from Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s account read. "It is now also putting lives of its troops at risk by deploying them to operate US missile systems in Israel."
It added: "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."
Israel war in Gaza
Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed over 42,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, who do not say how many were fighters but say women and children make up more than half of the fatalities.
The war has destroyed large areas of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its population of 2.3 million people.
Most recently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was examining a plan to seal off humanitarian aid to northern Gaza in an attempt to starve out Hamas militants.
The chief architect of the plan says it is the only way to break Hamas in the north and pressure it to release Israeli hostages.
RELATED: Hamas attack on Israel: Hostage status 1 year later
Hamas is still believed to be holding about 100 Israeli captives inside Gaza since its attack on Oct. 7, 2023. A third of the hostages are believed to be dead.