The Biden Administration's THAAD Deployment and the Path to War

This month, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin authorized the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to Israel, along with American personnel to operate it. According to observers, between October 14 and 21, a record 26 U.S. military transport flights landed in Israel, delivering personnel and equipment to set up the THAAD system. Satellite images confirm that the system is now fully operational, with all its components, including radar and missile launch platforms, positioned and ready. By placing U.S. troops and assets in a volatile conflict zone, the Biden administration risks exposing American military personnel to potential attacks, and further destabilizing the Middle East, all without explicit congressional authorization for such combat missions.

In the past year, the attacks between Iran and Israel have increased with escalating tit-for-tat exchanges. What began as smaller retaliations has evolved into direct strikes on critical targets. In April 2024, Iran responded symbolically to an Israeli attack on its consulate in Syria, which killed eight officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, by launching a coordinated missile and drone attack on Israel from its territory.

On October 1 2024, Iran responded to an even more provocative Israeli attack in August 2024, which killed Palestinian leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, deploying maneuverable hypersonic missiles that successfully evaded Israel’s defense systems, showing its capability to strike deep within Israel’s heartland. Since then, the world has waited with bated breath to see how Israel will, in turn, attack Iran. Israel has massively expanded its military assault on Lebanon and Palestine, where it has intensified its genocide in Gaza with an unprecedented ethnic cleansing campaign in its northern parts.

The Biden administration reportedly has urged Israel to ratchet down the conflict with Iran, particularly in the lead up to the election, encouraging it instead to “take the win” in Lebanon. As usual, however, the Biden team’s actions speak louder than words, because by announcing it will deploy THAAD missiles to Israel, it is enabling Israel to pursue a potentially catastrophic offensive against Iran, assured by the backing of U.S. technology and personnel.

By announcing it will deploy THAAD missiles to Israel, it is enabling Israel to pursue a potentially catastrophic offensive against Iran, assured by the backing of U.S. technology and personnel.

Far from being a stabilizing force, the deployment of these missiles raises the stakes for everyone involved, including American military personnel and bases stationed in the region. The U.S. has already crossed the line to become a party to Israel’s war in the region, including by providing Israel with targeting and intelligence support, launching offensive attacks on Yemen to punish them for their support of Palesitnians, and shooting down Iranian missiles from Jordan. By escalating the engagement of U.S. military personnel to assist Israel with this much broader deployment of U.S. missiles to be operated by U.S. personnel, U.S. forces are now legitimate targets of attack themselves.

These combat actions are taking place without the necessary legal permissions under the War Powers Resolution (WPR), which requires the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying forces into hostilities. Without an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) or a declaration of war, U.S. forces cannot engage in hostilities beyond 60 days, with an optional 30-day extension for withdrawal. The Biden administration crossed this threshold in April 2024, spending nearly $1 billion to intercept Iranian missiles and drones during attacks on Israel. These extensive combat operations constitute active hostilities, meaning the 60-day WPR limit has expired without congressional approval, violating constitutional checks on war powers.

According to Brown University's Costs of War Project, the U.S. has spent over $22 billion and counting on Israel's military operations and related U.S operations in the region, including $17.9 billion in approved foreign military financing since October 2023—the most military aid the U.S. has ever sent to Israel since it began providing financial support to the Israeli military. This aid has been used in operations widely condemned for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity and part of the International Criminal Court’s ongoing case, which has resulted in the indictment requests of Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Instead of sending more weapons and further fueling escalation, the U.S. should push for a ceasefire in Gaza, which remains the key to defusing the broader regional conflict.

Continuing to send weapons to a country involved in such actions undermines U.S. credibility and also violates the Foreign Assistance Act, which prohibits military aid to foreign forces engaged in gross violations of human rights or obstructing humanitarian assistance. Israel continues to block humanitarian aid to Gaza while intensifying its war crimes on a daily basis, and the U.S. continues to transfer weapons—implicating itself in these violations too.

The United States should resist this reckless course of action. It is not in America’s interests to get entangled in another Middle Eastern war, especially one undertaken without public debate, congressional approval, or a clear exit strategy. Instead of sending more weapons and further fueling escalation, the U.S. should push for a ceasefire in Gaza, which remains the key to defusing the broader regional conflict. A ceasefire would halt the immediate bloodshed and prevent the cycle of retaliation from dragging the entire region into war.