Situations are different: the Pentagon explains why the United States deploys the THAAD missile defense system in Israel and not in Ukraine

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has approved the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile battery in Israel. The air defense battery "will be used to strengthen Israel's missile defense capabilities following Iran's targeted attacks on the country in April and October of this year."

This was stated by Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh. At the same time, she answered the question of why such a battery is not deployed near Ukraine.

According to Singh, the first group of military personnel and part of the THAAD battery "arrived in Israel yesterday," and the rest of the military "should arrive in the coming days, to make THAAD fully operational soon."

"This decision was made as part of broader adjustments that the U.S. Army has made in recent months to support Israel's defense and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-affiliated militias," Singh said.

Asked why Israel needed THAAD now, Singh noted that Iran's attack on Israel earlier this month "was almost twice as large as the April 13 attack" and that it involved mostly unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles. America helps shoot down only missiles, and only from the sea, THAAD is intended to protect Israel from UAVs and missiles from the ground.

Asked why THAAD is not deployed on the territory of NATO allies in Europe, with the ability to protect the western part of Ukraine from Russian air attacks, Singh noted that the situation in Ukraine is different from the situation in Israel.

"These are different wars, different regions, and different American commitments to Israel and Ukraine," the Pentagon official said.

This time, Singh did not refer to the different landscape differences between Ukraine and Israel. However, the Pentagon spokeswoman reminded that US President Joe Biden has committed to supporting Ukraine for as long as necessary.

"The United States continues to support both countries in meeting their various needs," Singh added.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, after Iran's massive missile attack on Israel, the White House said that it helped the Israeli Defense Forces to shoot down missiles launched by Iran from the sea.

Ukraine has repeatedly asked NATO countries to at least shoot down Russian drones approaching their borders. However, NATO responds to such requests by saying that this would allegedly make them parties to the conflict.

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