by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News)— U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Monday that the U.S. military has swiftly deployed its advanced THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system to Israel, where it is now “in place” and ready to supplement Israel’s robust missile defense network.
President Joe Biden stated that the deployment of the THAAD system, along with approximately 100 U.S. soldiers, aims to support Israel as it considers retaliatory action against Iran, following Tehran’s launch of over 180 missiles at Israel on October 1.
“The THAAD system is in place,” Austin said Monday before arriving in Ukraine. While he didn’t confirm if it was operational, he noted, “We have the ability to put it into operation very quickly, and we’re on pace with our expectations.”
However, Israel’s Kan public broadcaster reported Sunday evening that the missile defense battery was now operational, citing two Israeli sources. Meanwhile, the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya outlet, quoting its own sources, claimed that three batteries were active.
Meanwhile, Austin told reporters Monday, “It’s hard to say exactly what [Israel’s] strike will look like,” emphasizing, “At the end of the day, that’s an Israeli decision, and whether the Israelis see it as proportional and how the Iranians perceive it may be two different things.”
He added, “We’re going to continue doing everything we can… to dial down tensions and hopefully get both parties to de-escalate. So, we’ll see what happens.”
In recent days, a leak of highly classified Pentagon documents surfaced on Telegram, revealing details about Israel’s preparations for a potential retaliatory strike against Iran.
The leak has sparked widespread speculation about how much sensitive information Israel might be willing to share with the Biden administration moving forward.
Given the strategic nature of the operation, questions are emerging about the extent of coordination between the two allies and whether Israel might withhold key operational details to maintain autonomy in its military decisions. The situation has further fueled debates about trust, intelligence-sharing protocols, and how the U.S. may respond if diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions with Iran fail.
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