US will send an air defense battery and American troops to Israel to bolster defenses against Iran

WASHINGTON — The United States will send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery and troops to Israel, the Pentagon said on Sunday, even as Iran warned Washington to keep US forces out of Israel.

Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorized the THAAD battery deployment at the direction of President Joe Biden.

Ryder said the air defense system will help strengthen Israel’s air defenses after Iran’s missile attacks on Israel in April and October.