After sitting out the Iran attack, US steps in to help Israel intercept missiles
The U.S. military is operating in the air, on land and at sea to shoot down Iranian missiles fired at Israel.
The U.S. military is operating in the air, on land and at sea to shoot down Iranian missiles fired at Israel in response to its attacks on Iran’s nuclear program and military leadership, tilting Washington toward more direct involvement in the widening conflict.
Iran has fired about 200 ballistic missiles in four barrages and more than 200 drones toward Israeli territory so far in response to multiple waves of Israeli strikes, an Israeli military official said. Before the retaliatory strikes even began, U.S. jet fighters, Navy destroyers and ground-based air-defense systems had positioned to help counter any attack, according to U.S. officials.
The U.S. played a central role in defending Israel from Iranian attacks last year, when the Biden administration assembled forces to contain Iran’s attacks as the longtime foes traded blows on two occasions. In the second of those attacks, Iran fired around 200 missiles targeting Israeli military and intelligence sites. Some penetrated Israel’s antimissile defenses, raising fears that another attack could inflict serious damage, particularly if it targeted civilian areas.
This time, the Trump administration has sent mixed signals about how involved the U.S. is willing to become in a protracted Israeli war with Iran.
President Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to hold off on attacking Iran and give diplomacy a chance. When Netanyahu raised the issue of a strike again on Thursday, Trump said the U.S. wouldn’t stand in the way but wouldn’t help in the attack, officials familiar with the call said. Once it was under way, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement distancing the U.S. from the attack.
It didn’t take long for the U.S. to get pulled in as the fighting escalated. Trump endorsed the strikes Friday, saying they created better conditions for talks on dismantling Iran’s nuclear program. The U.S. hasn’t openly joined offensive action against Iran.
The Pentagon is still waiting for a battlefield assessment to determine how many projectiles the U.S. intercepted, the U.S. officials said. A number of overnight impacts were reported around the Tel Aviv area, causing three deaths and property damage.
If the conflict between Israel and Iran deepens, the U.S. might need to send more troops and military assets to defend Israel against retaliatory attacks. American military bases and embassies in the region, or even around the world, could be targeted by Iranian proxies.
In the hours leading up to the first Iranian retaliatory launches on Friday, one of the officials said, the Pentagon mobilized jet fighters around the Middle East to defend U.S. troops and interests, which Tehran had threatened to target in the event of an attack.
Last year, the U.S. used F-15E and F-16 warplanes to intercept drones launched at Israel by Iran.
U.S. ground-based interceptors also helped defend Israel in the latest barrages, the officials said. The U.S. operates several Patriot antimissile batteries across the region, moving them around to address perceived aerial threats. They are concentrated in Arab countries on the Persian Gulf, where the U.S. operates sprawling military bases, as well as Jordan and Iraq.
There is currently at least one Thaad advanced missile-defense battery in Israel. It was moved there during the Biden administration to augment Israel’s antimissile defense after Iranian attacks in April 2024 and last October.
Thaad, which stands for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, is operated by the U.S. Army and designed to intercept missiles inside or outside the atmosphere during the final phase of flight. A typical Thaad battery is crewed by nearly 100 soldiers and consists of six truck mounted launchers, a transportable radar and a fire-control unit.
The Thaad has been used repeatedly to intercept Houthi missiles fired at Israel from Yemen, according to Israeli officials who said it is sometimes used together with Israel’s Arrow system, which also intercepts long-range ballistic missiles.
U.S. Navy destroyers have also shot interceptors at Iranian missiles aimed at Israel this week, one of the U.S. officials said. When Iran attacked Israel last year, U.S. warships in the Mediterranean shot down ballistic missiles, though the U.S. reduced its naval presence in the Middle East after Trump announced a cease-fire with the Houthis last month.
Write to Stephen Kalin at stephen.kalin@wsj.com and Nancy A. Youssef at nancy.youssef@wsj.com
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