US military helped defend against Iranian attack on Israel, officials say

The US military helped defend Israel against this week’s Iranian missile attack, attempting to intercept some of the ballistic missiles launched by Tehran, US officials said.

Initial assessments remain ongoing, but officials speaking on condition of anonymity, said it is believed that US forces successfully intercepted multiple ballistic missiles during the attack.

Both land- and sea-based US military assets were involved in the operation, officials said, underscoring Washington’s continued commitment to helping protect Israel from regional threats.

Hundreds of US servicemembers are currently deployed in Israel. Some are part of the multinational mechanism established to monitor the Gaza ceasefire following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, while others support air and missile defense operations.

Military officials and experts are still assessing the effectiveness of the US contribution to the latest operation. The Israeli military has said Iran launched approximately 30 ballistic missiles during the attack, while Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement fired an additional two missiles toward Israel.

The latest operation marks another instance of direct US military involvement in helping defend Israel against Iranian missile and drone attacks over the past two years.

In April 2024, US forces played a major role in helping intercept more than 300 missiles and drones launched by Iran at Israel in Tehran’s first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory. American fighter aircraft, naval vessels and air defense systems were deployed alongside Israeli and allied forces to shoot down the vast majority of incoming projectiles before they reached their targets.

Later that year, US military assets again assisted Israel in defending against an Iranian missile barrage, with American destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean and other regional assets helping track and intercept incoming threats.

The United States maintains a substantial military presence across the Middle East, including advanced air defense systems, fighter aircraft, naval vessels and over 50,000 troops stationed throughout the region. US officials have repeatedly said those forces are positioned both to protect American personnel and interests and to support regional partners facing missile and drone threats.

The Pentagon has not yet released a detailed breakdown of the assets involved in this week’s operation, and officials cautioned that assessments could change as additional information becomes available.