A team of American troops supporting a missile defense system in Israel has arrived in the country, the US military said.
A statement from Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder announced the team’s arrival in Israel on Monday.
They will operate a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery there to defend against ballistic missile attacks from Iran.
Tehran has launched two missile attacks on Israel as the wars in Gaza and Lebanon rage.
“Over the coming days, additional US military personnel and THAAD battery components will continue to arrive in Israel,” Ryder said. “The battery will be fully operational capable in the near future, but for operations security reasons we will not discuss timelines.”
Iran has warned US troops would be in harm’s way if Iran launches another attack on Israel.
The Biden administration believes it has won assurances from Israel that it will not hit Iranian nuclear or oil sites as it looks to strike back following Iran's missile barrage earlier this month, two US officials said Tuesday.
The administration also believes that sending the THAAD battery to Israel and roughly 100 soldiers to operate it has eased some of Israel’s concerns about possible Iranian retaliation and general security issues.
However, the US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic discussions, cautioned that the assurance is not iron-clad and that circumstances could change.
The officials also noted that Israel’s track record on fulfilling assurances in the past is mixed and has often reflected domestic Israeli politics that have upended Washington’s expectations.
