The Israeli military announced tonight that the US has deployed the THAAD anti-ballistic missile defense system to Israel amid tensions with Iran.

Israel's military radio described the move as part of preparations for an expected Israeli response to Iran's latest missile attack.

While described as the "first" such deployment, the US had announced a temporary THAAD deployment in March 2019 as part of joint defense exercises. It remains unclear whether the current deployment is permanent.

THAAD, developed by Lockheed Martin, is a defensive weapon designed to intercept short- and medium-range ballistic missiles at high altitude.

The manufacturer claims that THAAD is the only US system designed to intercept targets in and out of the atmosphere.

Before THAAD, Israeli air defenses relied on three systems: the long-range Arrow, the medium-range David Slingshot and the short-range Iron Cube, all of which failed to intercept many Iranian missiles during the latest attack.

On October 1, Iran launched an attack involving around 180 rockets in retaliation for the assassination of former Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, along with other targets, including Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah and the leader of the Revolutionary Guards. , Abbas Nilforushan.

The Israeli military later admitted that the rocket attack caused damage to some of its air bases. /AA