Why the US is sending Israel a powerful Thaad anti-missile system

The Pentagon has confirmed it is sending a high-altitude anti-missile strategy operated by US troops to Israel.

Officials opportunity nan Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) artillery will bolster Israeli aerial defences aft Iran’s rocket onslaught connected nan state earlier this month.

President Joe Biden has said it is meant "to take sides Israel", which is still expected to retaliate against an Iranian onslaught involving much than 180 ballistic missiles fired astatine Israel connected 1 October.

The move has go nan attraction of attraction arsenic it involves putting American boots connected nan crushed successful Israel.

There are already a mini number of US forces successful nan state - but this caller deployment of astir 100 troops is important arsenic it signals further US entanglement successful nan expanding location war.

It is besides being scoured for clues arsenic to what it intends astir nan effectiveness of Israel’s rocket defences arsenic nan situation grows.

Israel has yet to motorboat its retaliation for Iran’s attack, which will beryllium "lethal, precise and supra all, surprising" according to Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

Tehran said it fired connected Israel because it assassinated Hassan Nasrallah, nan leader of Iranian-backed Hezbollah, successful Beirut.

The Pentagon said an beforehand squad and components needed for nan artillery arrived successful Israel connected Monday – pinch further unit and parts to travel successful nan coming days. The artillery will beryllium operational successful nan “near future”, a connection said.

Israeli journalist Avi Scharf, who routinely monitors formation search data, said 2 C-17 US subject transporters flew from Alabama to nan Israeli Air Force's Nevatim guidelines overnight, apt carrying Thaad equipment.

It’s still unclear whether nan Thaad deployment is portion of US contingency readying to span gaps identified successful Israel’s aerial defences, aliases whether it points to increasing concerns successful Washington of a much forceful Israeli onslaught connected Iran.

President Biden has opposed immoderate onslaught connected Iranian atomic facilities, arsenic good arsenic connected its lipid aliases power infrastructure, amid fears that it would trigger a spiralling conflict and impact nan world economy.

Whatever nan inheritance to nan decision, it signals a further request by Israel for US defence assistance amid nan expanding Middle East war.

Ballistic missiles for illustration nan Fattah-1used by Iran earlier this period are fired upwards into nan Earth’s atmosphere, wherever they alteration trajectory and descend towards their target. One of their subject advantages is their immense velocity compared pinch cruise missiles aliases drones.

The Thaad strategy is highly effective against ballistic missiles, according to shaper Lockheed Martin, nan biggest US arms maker.

Raytheon, different American weapons firm, builds its precocious radar.

The strategy counts six truck-mounted launchers, pinch 8 interceptors connected each launcher. It costs astir $1bn (£766m) a artillery and requires a unit of astir 100 to run it.

Thaad is overmuch sought aft including by Ukraine to antagonistic Russian rocket attacks.

Saudi Arabia has orders successful for it, and reportedly wanted much arsenic portion of an American weapons bonanza successful return for officially recognising Israel: a alleged "normalisation" woody which was mostly derailed aft nan 7 October onslaught by Hamas.

Iran’s 1 October strikes connected Israel killed 1 man successful Jericho successful nan occupied West Bank, who was deed by portion of a rocket that was apparently changeable down.

Israel has a overmuch vaunted aerial defence system, developed pinch nan US, including Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 exo-atmospheric missiles.

These alert astatine hypersonic velocity and tin sprout down ballistic missiles successful space. The system’s Israeli designers said Arrow "performed arsenic expected" pinch "wonderful" results against nan Iranian strike.

The US supported nan protect operation, firing interceptors from 2 naval destroyers successful nan eastbound Mediterranean, alongside support from immoderate European and Arab countries.

Washington presented nan Iranian onslaught arsenic "defeated and ineffective".

But harm connected nan crushed told a little emphatic picture. Satellite images showed harm astatine nan Nevatim base, which houses F-35 combatant planes, including craters connected a runway and taxiway.

Decker Eveleth from nan Washington-based Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) said nan images showed 32 effect points, including aggregate hits successful nan area of F-35 hangers.

"Some F-35s sewage really lucky," Mr Eveleth posted connected X.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that it was still unclear whether harm was caused straight by missiles aliases interception shrapnel.

There were different nonstop impacts, including successful Tel Aviv. One rocket reportedly blew a 30ft (nine metre) heavy crater successful a densely populated area adjacent to nan office of Mossad, Israel’s spy agency.

Politically, nan Thaad announcement is couched successful position of nan Biden administration’s "ironclad" support for Israel’s defence.

The US has sent much than 50,000 tonnes worthy of weapons to Israel successful nan past year, according to Israeli figures.

But it besides highlights immoderate of nan argumentation contortions carried retired by Washington: first trying to unit Israel and its adversaries not to escalate nan war, alternatively urging diplomacy.

When that has grounded nan White House has past firmly backed its Israeli ally’s decisions while moving to shield it diplomatically and militarily.

The Iranian rocket strikes followed Israel’s assassinations of Hamas governmental leader Ismail Haniyeh (a negotiator successful nan Gaza ceasefire and hostage merchandise talks), Hassan Nasrallah successful Beirut, Israeli aerial strikes successful densely populated parts of Beirut and its crushed penetration of Lebanon.

Israel said it has been striking against Hezbollah’s activity and destroying its immense rocket stores owed to 11 months of cross-border rocket occurrence into Israel.

It argues only subject unit and degrading Hezbollah’s capabilities will guarantee 60,000 Israelis tin return to their homes successful bluish Israel.

The Pentagon describes nan Thaad deployment arsenic portion of "the broader adjustments nan US subject has made successful caller months" to support Israel and take sides American unit from attacks by Iran and Iranian-backed groups.

It says a Thaad was deployed successful confederate Israel for an workout successful 2019, nan past and only clip it was known to beryllium there.

A US subject deployment to Israel extracurricular of drills is highly rare, fixed Israel's ain capabilities.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned connected Sunday that nan US was putting nan lives of its troops "at consequence by deploying them to run US rocket systems successful Israel".