US THAAD System not to change Israel’s vincibility
The Biden administration signed documents on Sunday for sending troops to Israel along with an advanced US anti-missile system, in a highly unusual deployment meant to bolster its ally’s air defenses following missile attacks by Iran on October 1. The US took this step as Hezbollah’s relentless drone strikes have caused devastation in central Israel, killing dozens of Israeli soldiers and injuring over a hundred. The Pentagon announced that it is sending a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to the occupied territories to protect the regime from Hezbollah’s missiles and drones. Meanwhile, the number of Israeli soldiers wounded in Lebanon’s attacks has increased, resulting in underground hospitals in Israel reaching full capacity. Every injured soldier is opting for treatment there, citing perceived safety concerns. In the wake of intensified Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon last month, lethal attacks against Israeli forces have surged, with estimates indicating that over 200 Israeli soldiers have been killed and nearly 1,000 wounded, of whom approximately 700 are no longer fit for duty.
By Syed Ali
Hassan
Iran Daily’s correspondent in Pakistan
Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder described the deployment as part of "the broader adjustments the US military has made in recent months" to support Israel and defend US personnel from attacks by Iran and its allies. However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Washington was “putting [the] lives of its troops at risk by deploying them to operate US missile systems in Israel.”
“While we have made tremendous efforts in recent days to contain an all-out war in our region, I say it clearly that we have no red lines in defending our people and interests,” Araghchi wrote on social media earlier on Sunday, implying that any US casualties would be the responsibility of Biden's administration. A single THAAD battery typically requires about 100 personnel to operate, comprising six truck-mounted launchers with eight interceptors each, along with a radar system. THAAD complements the Patriot system, which has a range of 150-200 kilometers.
On Sunday, the Israeli military acknowledged the destruction caused by a drone strike in central Israel, which targeted a military base near Binyamina, south of Haifa. An Israeli paramedic, Rafi Shiva, described the scene as horrific, with Israeli soldiers pressuring medical teams to move the injured to modern underground hospitals. Over the past year, Hezbollah has launched almost daily drone and rocket attacks on Israel, but the Sunday’s attack caused the highest casualties, injuring at least 67 people. This attack was in retaliation for recent Israeli strikes on central Beirut.
The US decision to supply THAAD to Tel Aviv is the latest manifestation of its unwavering support for Israel's escalating regional military actions. The Biden administration has also allocated billions of dollars in additional military aid to Tel Aviv during its aggression in Gaza, and is now deploying advanced air defense systems and troops, despite Israel's ongoing attacks on Lebanon. As long as the military aid continues to flow to Israel, it is unlikely that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will heed US calls for de-escalation or refrain from a broader regional conflict. This contradictory stance by the US is perpetuating the conflict and exacerbating the mass casualties among innocent civilians.
In April 2024, Israel and its allies incurred a cost of $1 billion in efforts to counter Iran's retaliatory strikes, equivalent to 4% of Israel's defense budget. Following Iran's launch of nearly 180 ballistic missiles on October 1, Israel is confronting an existential threat. The Iranian ballistic missiles, which descend at five times the speed of sound, pose an intractable problem for Israel, particularly after its second wave of attacks. The challenge is further exacerbated by Israel's insufficient stockpile of interceptors to defend Tel Aviv, coupled with its inability to rapidly produce more, while Hezbollah continues to target Israel's weapons manufacturing facilities.