Pentagon spokesman General Pat Ryder said that the United States would send the THAAD anti-missile defense system and soldiers to operate it to Israel. The system has a longer interception range than Patriot launchers. Washington wants to strengthen its ally in the Middle East after Iran's missile attacks.
Gen. Pat Ryder announced that the transfer of the anti-missile defense system was approved by the chief Pentagon Lloyd Austin in accordance with the president's instructions, and THAAD is intended to strengthen Israel's defense potential after rocket attacks Iranwhich took place in April and October. The decision is an expression of “the U.S.'s unwavering commitment to defend Israel and defend Americans in Israel against any further missile attacks by Iran,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
Biden on “defending Israel”
Gen. Ryder did not provide additional details regarding this tranche of aid to the Jewish state. During a brief conversation with reporters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa before departing Florida, President Biden said he made the decision to transfer THAAD to “defend Israel.” Israel Defense Forces spokesman Colonel Nadaw Shoshani declined to provide information on the THAAD delivery date, but thanked USA for handing over this system.
THAAD has greater interception potential than Patriot, but is considered to be complementary to the latter system; can hit targets 150-200 km away – explains AP.
Tehran “absolutely ready”
The agency notes that Ryder moved Washington's decision just after warning Iran not to send its armed forces to Israel. This signal was sent by the head of Iranian diplomacy, Abbas Aragchi, who wrote on the X website that America is endangering the lives of its soldiers “by sending them to operate US anti-missile systems in Israel.” “Although we have made enormous efforts in recent days to contain the threat of open war in our region, I clearly state that there are no red lines for us when it comes to defending our nation and our interests,” the minister's post reads.
Tehran is “absolutely ready to face war,” Aragchi added. After the last Iranian attack, which took place on October 1, when Iran fired nearly 200 rockets at Israel, Jerusalem announced retaliation.
THAAD is a modern anti-missile defense system designed to destroy enemy missiles just before they hit the target.MDA
The second such raid in history
Tehran announced that the rocket attack on the Jewish state was in response to Israel's killing of the leaders of Palestinian Hamas, Lebanese Hezbollah and one of the commanders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. They also announced that if Israel carries out a retaliatory attack, it will be met with another reaction from Iran. Iran's October airstrike on Israel was the second such attack in history. The first shelling took place in April, and Israel in retaliation destroyed one of the important radars of Iran's air defense system. Both the April and October attacks by Iran did not cause any major damage to Israel itself.
Main photo source: MDA