US sending Patriot system to Israel as Mideast tensions rise, news report says

The Defense Department reportedly is sending a Patriot missile defense system to Israel. Soldiers use a crane to lift Patriot missile canisters in the Middle East. The U.S. is reportedly moving a Patriot air and missile defense system to Israel in preparation for possible new strikes on Iran. (Courtesy of U.S. Army) The Defense Department reportedly is sending a Patriot missile defense system to Israel as concerns grow that American and Israeli forces are preparing for a large-scale attack on Iran following next month’s midterm elections in the U.S. The system is being sent from Texas to bolster Israel’s defenses, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing two unidentified officials and flight tracking data.

It’s not clear how many, if any, U.S. Patriot systems already are in Israel. But there is at least one Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, system in the country, deployed in October 2024. U.S. Central Command did not answer questions Wednesday about potential movement of the Patriot system to Israel or the number of Patriot or THAAD systems already deployed there. CENTCOM does not discuss such movements for operational security reasons, an unidentified official who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter said on background. The command “regularly rotates and repositions U.S. forces and assets to support assigned missions,” the official said. Earlier