U.S. shares missile defense with Israel

As Iran continues to develop increasingly powerful missiles, the United States has deployed a highly advanced missile defense system in Israel for the first time, the Israeli military announced Monday. The United States and Israel will use the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, in a joint military exercise. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the system’s deployment “further evidence of the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security.”

The countries’ enhanced military cooperation coincides with the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria and signals that the United States will continue to have a strong military presence in the Middle East. The THAAD battery shoots down long- and intermediate-range missiles and will bolster Israel’s existing advanced missile defense systems.