U.S. Sends More Troops, Assets To Middle East; Iran Fires at Israel – U.S. Responds

To be crystal clear as Sec. Austin has said, should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every necessary measure to defend our people.

Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder, Pentagon Press Secretary, referred to Iran’s attack as “significant” and confirmed the U.S. Navy destroyers fired about a dozen missile interceptors at Iranian missiles fired at Israel – a noted escalation in the ongoing conflict in the region.

Why It Matters: Iran, a U.S.-designated state sponsor of terrorism, fired approximately 200 ballistic missiles at Israel from Iranian soil, in the second attack of its kind since April but larger in firepower, according to the Pentagon. The U.S. military fired missile interceptors from U.S. ships in the region to protect Israel, though the Pentagon could not confirm whether these interceptors did, in fact, intercept some of the missiles. Less than 24 hours earlier, the Sec. of Defense announced more assets (fighter jets, fighter squadrons) moving to the Middle East, including more troops, bringing estimates of U.S. troops in the region to approximately 43,000. Maj. Gen. Ryder confirmed that the U.S. will appropriately respond if U.S. positions or personnel are targeted.

Initial reports, according to the Pentagon, suggest the missiles did minimal damage to property and to people on the ground in Israel but a final assessment is ongoing: “No U.S. personnel were injured or harmed.” (Pentagon)

Hours before the attack, as concern heightened in the region, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem sent out a security alert: “As a result of the current security situation, the U.S. Embassy has directed all U.S. government employees and their family members to shelter in place until further notice.”

Context: Former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, speaking in an interview Sunday, said U.S. forces have been attacked 175 times since October 2023 by Iranian-backed proxies.

Read More: Iran fires dozens of missiles into Israel in a sharp escalation of regional conflict (AP)

Israel and U.S. repel 180-missile attack from Iran (Axios)

Watch the Pentagon press briefing HERE (starts about 18:00 min mark)