US soldiers arrive in Israel to help thwart Iran missile attacks

USA TODAY: A team of U.S. soldiers has arrived in Israel to help operate the advanced anti-missile battery provided by President Joe Biden to help Israel fend off missile attacks from Iran amid increasing concerns surrounding the expanding Middle East conflict.

The Pentagon said Tuesday that the first of what will ultimately be about 100 U.S. troops have arrived along with some components of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system − THAAD. It marks the first U.S. deployment of troops in Israel since the Hamas-led attacks a year ago that ignited the war in Gaza and reflects a possible expansion of the conflict.

Major Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, said in a statement that some components of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery system arrived Sunday and that more were on the way. "Over the coming days, additional U.S. military personnel and THAAD battery components will continue to arrive in Israel," Ryder said.

The system will be fully operational "in the near future," but Ryder declined to be more specific citing operational security. He said the deployment and the THAAD battery underscore the U.S. commitment to defending Israel and Americans in Israel from ballistic missile attacks by Iran. Tehran barraged Israel with hundreds of missiles Oct. 1, although the attacks were mostly thwarted.

Israel has pledged a "lethal, precise and above all, surprising" retaliation for the Oct. 1 attack, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said. Tehran said the attack was in response to the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.