In response to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the Pentagon has announced that it will send an advanced anti-missile defence system called the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) to Israel. This decision is meant to strengthen Israel's air defences after recent missile attacks from Iran and growing tensions in the region. Along with the THAAD system, about 100 U.S. troops will be sent to operate it.

Following Iran's missile attacks on Israel on April 13 and October 1, the Pentagon decided to deploy the THAAD system. Israel's current defence infrastructure is strengthened by THAAD, which is made to intercept ballistic missiles. This could help lessen future missile threats from Iran or its allies. Threats from short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles are addressed by the THAAD.

In addition to defending Israel, the US presence is meant to give Israel a strategic edge as it considers taking revenge on Iran. This intensification coincides with mounting worries that Israel might launch an attack on Iranian assets, further destabilising an already unstable area. According to CNN, the United States has engaged in high-level discussions with Israeli officials to oversee the response and avoid an unmanageable escalation of hostilities, even as it firmly supports Israel's right to self-defence.

CNN reports that the U.S. military has greatly increased its presence in the Middle East since the surprise Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed over 1,200 Israelis. Warships and aircraft carriers have been sent to the Arabian Sea, Red Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, and more air defences have been positioned all over the region. In Cyprus, US troops have been stationed to support evacuation preparations.

For Iran and its allies, including Hezbollah, the deployment of US forces and equipment, like the THAAD system, also sends a strong message that any further escalation will have dire repercussions. The war on the ground has gotten more intense as the US supports Israel's defences. Israel's military confirmed on Sunday that a Hezbollah drone strike on a military base in Binyamina, close to Haifa, killed four soldiers. 

More than 60 people were injured in the attack, with the injuries ranging from minor to serious, according to Israeli emergency services. Recent Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, including a devastating strike on central Beirut that claimed 22 lives, are thought to have prompted the drone strike.