The Pentagon has said it will deploy a high-altitude anti-missile system and its US military crew to Israel to help the ally protect itself from potential Iranian missile attacks, AFP reports.

At the direction of US President Joe Biden, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin “authorised the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) battery and associated crew of US military personnel to Israel to help bolster Israel’s air defences following Iran’s unprecedented attacks against Israel on April 13 and again on October 1,” Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said in a statement.