According to reports from the Associated Press and several Israeli media sources on October 12, U.S. officials are carefully considering the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in Israel. This initiative comes in response to Iran’s launch of nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel earlier this month, with Israel weighing its options for retaliation. A source in Tehran informed CNN on the same day that Iran has warned the U.S. that any new attacks by Israel will be met with a decisive response.

The news regarding the potential THAAD deployment first emerged from Channel 12 News in Israel. A U.S. official indicated to Israeli media that a final decision has not yet been reached.

The purpose of deploying THAAD in Israel is to prepare for intercepting any retaliatory ballistic missiles launched by Iran, especially in light of anticipated Israeli reprisal for the October 1 attack. The U.S. had previously deployed THAAD in Israel in March 2019, although that installation was not intended to be permanent.

As of April, a report from the Congressional Research Service detailed that the Army currently has seven THAAD battery units manufactured by Lockheed Martin. THAAD is considered complementary to the Patriot missile system, with a wider range of coverage, extending from 150 to 200 kilometers.

Each THAAD battery, which costs billions of dollars, typically consists of six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors, a radar system, and AN/TPY-2 radar equipment, requiring a total of 95 military personnel to operate. Currently, only the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates possess THAAD systems, while other nations that have previously deployed them, such as Romania, Israel, and South Korea, rely on U.S. personnel for operation.

Following a major attack on Israel by the militant group Hamas on October 7, 2022, the Pentagon ordered the deployment of a THAAD battery and an additional Patriot missile battalion to the region to protect American military assets. Reports from Defense News indicate that the first known combat interception by THAAD occurred in January 2022, when the United Arab Emirates used the system to destroy a medium-range ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi forces.