TEHRAN, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi warned on Sunday that the United States would be endangering its troops by deploying them to Israel to operate American missile defense systems.
Araghchi's remarks on social media followed reports that Washington had decided to send its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to Israel, a move requiring U.S. personnel to manage the system.
The minister accused the United States of providing "unprecedented levels of military aid" to Israel, sharing figures showing U.S. military assistance to Israel reaching 17.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, marking a record high.
"The U.S. has been supplying Israel with record levels of arms," Araghchi stated.
He also highlighted Iran's efforts to prevent a broader regional conflict, adding, "We have no red lines when it comes to defending our people and our interests."
The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that it would deploy the THAAD batteries to Israel to enhance its missile defense capabilities, following Iranian missile attacks.
On Oct. 1, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) fired approximately 180 missiles at Israeli targets. Tehran described the strikes as retaliation for the assassinations of several regional leaders and Israel's military actions against Lebanese and Palestinian groups.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Iran had made a "grave mistake" and pledged retaliation. ■
