Pentagon Chief Tells Israel That US Is ‘Well-Postured’ against Iran

A rocket flies in the sky after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, October 1, 2024. (Reuters)
A rocket flies in the sky after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, October 1, 2024. (Reuters)
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Pentagon Chief Tells Israel That US Is ‘Well-Postured’ against Iran

A rocket flies in the sky after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, October 1, 2024. (Reuters)
A rocket flies in the sky after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, October 1, 2024. (Reuters)

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke to his Israeli counterpart late on Tuesday, hours after Iran's missile attack on Israel following Israel's military campaign in Lebanon, and said Washington was "well-postured" to defend its interests in the Middle East.

Earlier in the day, Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for Israel's military campaign in Lebanon that has killed hundreds and displaced over a million people.

Iran later said its missile attack on Israel was over, barring further provocation. No injuries were reported in Israel and Washington called Iran's attack ineffective.

Israel and the US have promised to retaliate against Tehran as fears of a wider war intensify.

"The Secretary (Austin) reaffirmed that the United States remains well postured to defend US personnel, allies, and partners in the face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organizations," the Pentagon said in a statement after Austin's call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

"The minister and I expressed mutual appreciation for the coordinated defense of Israel against nearly 200 ballistic missiles launched by Iran and committed to remain in close contact," Austin said separately in a post on X.

Israel has escalated its military campaign in Lebanon in recent days, launching operations that the Israeli military says are targeting Lebanese Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.

Israel is also waging a war in Gaza, which followed a deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel by the Palestinian Hamas movement. Israeli's military assault on Hamas-governed Gaza has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced nearly everyone there, caused a hunger crisis in the enclave.



Team of US Troops Supporting a Missile Defense System Arrives in Israel

 This image provided by the US Air Force shows the US Army Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) launching station preparing to load onto a 4th Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster III at Fort Bliss, Texas, Feb. 23, 2019. (Staff Sgt. Cory D. Payne/US Air Force via AP)
This image provided by the US Air Force shows the US Army Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) launching station preparing to load onto a 4th Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster III at Fort Bliss, Texas, Feb. 23, 2019. (Staff Sgt. Cory D. Payne/US Air Force via AP)
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Team of US Troops Supporting a Missile Defense System Arrives in Israel

 This image provided by the US Air Force shows the US Army Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) launching station preparing to load onto a 4th Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster III at Fort Bliss, Texas, Feb. 23, 2019. (Staff Sgt. Cory D. Payne/US Air Force via AP)
This image provided by the US Air Force shows the US Army Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) launching station preparing to load onto a 4th Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster III at Fort Bliss, Texas, Feb. 23, 2019. (Staff Sgt. Cory D. Payne/US Air Force via AP)

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.