The United States will send an advanced air defense system to Israel to protect against attack by Iran and its proxies. The delivery of the sophisticated missile defense system risks further inflaming the conflict in the Middle East despite widespread diplomatic efforts to avoid an all-out war. The Army has seven Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries. Generally, each consists of six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors, along with radio and radar equipment, and requires 95 soldiers to operate. This isn’t the first time the United States sent a THAAD battery to the region. After the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas in Israel, the Pentagon sent a THAAD battery to the Middle East to defend its interests in the region.
The Middle East is on high alert in anticipation of possible retaliation by Israel against Iran, which sent a volley of long-range rockets at Israel on Oct. 1, after multiple incidents involving exploding pagers and walkie-talkies that occurred across Lebanon, for which Iran has blamed Israel.