US deploys additional THAAD missile defense battery to Israel ahead of possible Iran strike

The United States recently deployed an additional Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to Israel along with two Patriot batteries, Israeli security sources confirmed to Israeli media outlets on Sunday. 

According to an earlier report by Saudi news channel Al-Hadath, the deployment was made amid increasing regional tensions, including the ongoing U.S. operations against the Houthis in Yemen, and in the shadow of President Donald Trump's threats about a possible attack on Iran's nuclear facilities if the regime continues to reject negotiations over its nuclear program.

Before the Al-Hadath TV report, aircraft tracking websites noted the arrival of a U.S. Air Force cargo transport plane to Israel’s Nevatim Air Base from Germany. The C-5M Super Galaxy, the U.S. Air Force’s largest transport plane, remained at the base for about eight hours before taking off.