Officials admit: US assets were used to intercept Iranian missiles
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US officials confirm that American naval ships and ground-based interceptors were used to block "Israel"-bound Iranian missiles.
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The USS Mason, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, passes a dock in Norfolk, Virginia, April 8, 2021 (AP)
US naval ships and ground-based air-defense systems have indeed intercepted Iranian missiles aimed at "Israel", two US officials confirmed to NBC News.
They claimed, however, that the total number of these interceptions remains relatively low.
According to the Associated Press, American air defense systems and a Navy destroyer actively helped “shoot down incoming ballistic missiles” from Iran during a barrage aimed at “Israel” last Friday.
American defense assets, including Patriot and THAAD batteries, drove off several projectile waves, according to multiple US sources.
Additional US Navy destroyers, notably the USS Thomas Hudner, alongside the USS Arleigh Burke and USS The Sullivans, have been deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to reinforce interceptions of Iranian ballistic missiles.
A destroyer in the eastern Mediterranean intercepted incoming Iranian missiles, while naval tracking systems helped identify threats during an Iranian barrage.
Although the number of actual interceptions has been described as “relatively low", officials confirm that US personnel and technology played a crucial role in bolstering “Israel’s” security posture.
THAAD deployment traced to 2024 as US missile defense role deepens
US Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems supported Israeli defenses as well, while the naval vessel additionally shot down missiles as Tehran retaliated for strikes on its nuclear sites and military leadership.
Additionally, naval tracking systems played a crucial role in detecting threats during the barrage.
Last October 2024, the United States deployed a THAAD battery to “Israel” along with the troops needed to operate it, according to the Pentagon, as reported by the Associated Press. The deployment, authorized by then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the direction of former President Joe Biden, came in response to ballistic missile attacks launched by Iran in both April and October, also in retaliation to Israeli attacks on the Iranian colsulate in Damascus and the assassination of former Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil respectively.
Former Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said at the time that the system was meant to bolster “Israel’s” air defense network.
However, the delivery of the advanced missile defense battery prompted sharp warnings from Iran at the time, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi cautioning the US to keep its military out of the regional conflict, a warning that would not be heeded.
