Iran’s foreign minister indirectly threatened US forces potentially operating in Israel in an online post Sunday.
The comments came in a post on the social platform X long associated with Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who helped reached Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
In the message, Araqchi referred to the United States potentially sending one of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems to Israel. Any move of one of the systems, known by the acronym THAAD, to Israel would involve the deployment of soldiers to operate the complex system.
"The US has been delivering record amount of arms to Israel," the X message 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."
Iran’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment over the remarks, which were carried by Iranian state media.
The United States will send the THAAD battery and troops to Israel, the Pentagon said Sunday.
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.
Planning attack
Israel is widely believed to be planning to attack Iran over its missile barrage on Israel during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war that’s widened to Lebanon and involved other Iranian-backed militant groups in the region.
The THAAD is a defensive system that shoots down incoming ballistic missiles, like those fired by Iran in its last attack.
Iran fired more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on Oct. 1 amid an escalation in fighting between Israel and its proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah. Many were intercepted in flight but some penetrated missile defenses, although the only fatality was a Palestinian killed by debris that fell on the West Bank.
Iran is ready to respond to any Israeli action against its territory, Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh said on Sunday, according to semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has said Israel will hit Iran in a way that will be "lethal, precise and surprising".
US officials believe Israel has narrowed down targets in its potential retaliation for the Iranian missile barrage, and would aim to hit military and energy infrastructure, NBC reported on Saturday. It said there was no indication Israel would target nuclear facilities or carry out assassinations in Iran.
The NBC report cited unidentified US officials and added that Israel had not made final decisions about how and when to act. It also cited US and Israeli officials as saying a response could come during the Jewish Yom Kippur holiday. The holiday ended on Saturday evening without an Israeli strike.
Regional tour
Araqchi is on a tour of the region. Baghdad was his latest stop where he met with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein.
He said the Middle East faces "dangerous challenges" as Tehran anticipates the Israeli strike.
"Iran does not seek war, but we are prepared for war," Araqchi said at a news conference in Baghdad after meeting with Hussein
Meanwhile, Hussein said Israel was forbidden from using Iraq’s airspace in any possible strike against Iran.
Baghdad’s top diplomat said an outbreak of regional war will create not only a global crisis but also fertile ground for the reemergence of extremist groups like ISIS
"We are trying to keep the conflict away from the region and Iraq," he said.
