US helps Israel shoot down barrage of Iranian missiles
American air defence systems and Navy assets in the Middle East helped Israel shoot down incoming ballistic missiles today that Tehran launched in response to Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and top military leaders, a US official said.
The US has both ground-based Patriot missile defence systems and Terminal High Altitude Air Defence systems in the region capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, which Iran fired in multiple barrages in retaliation for Israel's initial attack.
Naval assets also were involved in assisting Israel as Iran fired missiles at Tel Aviv, another official said. It was not immediately clear if ships fired interceptors or if their advanced missile tracking systems helped Israel identify incoming targets.
The United States also is shifting military resources, including ships, in the Middle East in response to the strikes.
The Navy has directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, which is capable of defending against ballistic missiles, to begin sailing from the western Mediterranean Sea toward the eastern Mediterranean and has directed a second destroyer to begin moving forward so it can be available if requested by the White House, US officials said.
ADVERTISEMENT
American fighter jets also are patrolling the sky in the Middle East to protect personnel and installations, and air bases in the region are taking additional security precautions, the officials said.
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public or to discuss ongoing operations.
President Donald Trump met with his National Security Council principals today to discuss options.
The forces in the region have been taking precautionary measures for days, including having military dependents voluntarily depart regional bases, in anticipation of the strikes and to protect personnel in case of a large-scale response from Tehran.
The army said dozens of missiles were launched, and the army has ordered residents across the country to move into bomb shelters. (Source: Associated Press)
Typically around 30,000 troops are based in the Middle East, and about 40,000 troops are in the region now, according to a US official. That number surged as high as 43,000 last October amid the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran as well as continuous attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.
The Navy has additional assets that it could surge to the Middle East if needed, particularly its aircraft carriers and the warships that sail with them. The USS Carl Vinson is in the Arabian Sea — the only aircraft carrier in the region.
ADVERTISEMENT
The carrier USS Nimitz is in the Indo-Pacific and could be directed toward the Middle East if needed, and the USS George Washington just left its port in Japan and could also be directed to the region if so ordered, one of the officials said.
Then-President Joe Biden initially surged ships to protect Israel following the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas that launched the war in Gaza. It was seen as a deterrent against Hezbollah and Iran at the time.
On October 1, 2024, US Navy destroyers fired about a dozen interceptors in defence of Israel as the country came under attack by more than 200 missiles fired by Iran.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
4 hours ago
- Scoop
The West's War On Iran
Opinion – Eugene Doyle What we are witnessing is the racist, genocidal Israeli regime, armed and encouraged by the US, Germany, UK and other Western regimes, launching a war that has no justification other than the expansion of Israeli power and the advancement of its Greater Israel … I have visited Iran twice. Once in June 1980 to witness an unprecedented event: the world's first Islamic Revolution. It was the very start of my writing career. The second time was in 2018 and part of my interest was to get a sense of how disenchanted the population was – or was not – with life under the Ayatollahs decades after the creation of the Islamic Republic. I loved my time in Iran and found ordinary Iranians to be such wonderful, cultured and kind people. When I heard the news today of Israel's attack on Iran I had the kind of emotional response that should never be seen in public. I was apoplectic with rage and disgust, I vented bitterly and emotively. Then I calmed down. And here is what I would like to say. Just last week former CIA officer Ray McGovern, who wrote daily intelligence briefings for the US President during his 27-year career, reminded me when I interviewed him that the assessment of the US intelligence community has been for years that Iran ceased its nuclear weapons programme in 2003 and had not recommenced since. The departing CIA director William Burns confirmed this assessment recently. Propaganda aside, there is nothing new other than a US-Israeli campaign that has shredded any concept of international laws or norms. I won't mince words: what we are witnessing is the racist, genocidal Israeli regime, armed and encouraged by the US, Germany, UK and other Western regimes, launching a war that has no justification other than the expansion of Israeli power and the advancement of its Greater Israel project. This year, using American, German and British armaments, supported by underlings like Australia and New Zealand, the Israelis have pursued their genocide against the Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza, and attacked various neighbours, including Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Iran. They represent a clear and present danger to peace and stability in the region. Iran has operated with considerable restraint but has also shown its willingness to use its military to keep the US-Israeli menace at bay. What most people forget is that the project to secure Iran's borders and keep the likes of the British, Israelis and Americans out is a multi-generational project that long predates the Islamic Revolution. I would recommend 'Iran: A modern history' by the US-based scholar Abbas Amanat that provides a long-view of the evolution of the Iranian state and how it has survived centuries of pressure and multiple occupations from imperial powers, including Russia, Britain, the US and others. The country was raped by the Brits and the Americans and has won a hard-fought independence that is being seriously challenged, not from within, but by the Israelis and the Western warlords who have wrecked so many countries and killed millions of men, women and children in the region over recent decades. I spoke and messaged with Iranian friends today both in Iran and in New Zealand and the response was consistent. They felt, one of them said, 10 times more hurt and emotional than I did. Understandable. A New Zealand-based Iranian friend had to leave work as soon as he heard the news. He scanned Iranian social media and found people were upset, angry and overwhelmingly supportive of the government. 'They destroyed entire apartment buildings! Why?', 'People will be very supportive of the regime now because they have attacked civilians.' 'My parents are in the capital. I was so scared for them.' Just a couple of years ago scholars like Professor Amanat estimated that core support for the regime was probably only around 20%. That was my impression too when I visited in 2018. Israel and the US have changed that. Nationalism and an existential menace will see Iranians rally around the flag. Something I learnt in Iran, in between visiting the magnificent ruins of the capital of the Achaemenid Empire at Persepolis, exploring a Zoroastrian Tower of Silence, chowing down on insanely good food in Yazd, talking with a scholar and then a dissident in Isfahan, and exploring an ancient Sassanian fort and a caravanserai in the eastern desert, was that the Iranians are the most politically astute people in the region. Many I spoke to were quite open about their disdain for the regime but none of them sought a counter-revolution. They knew what that would bring: the wolves (the Americans, the Israelis, the Saudis, and other bad actors) would slip in and tear the country apart. Slow change is the smarter option when you live in this neighbourhood. Iranians are overwhelmingly well-educated, profoundly courteous and kind, and have a deep sense of history. They know more than enough about what happened to them and to so many other countries once a great power sees an opening. War is a truly horrific thing that always brings terrible suffering to ordinary people. It is very rarely justified. Iran was actively negotiating with the Americans who, we now know, were briefed on the attack in advance and will possibly join the attack in the near future. US senators are baying for Judeo-Christian jihad. Democrat senator John Fetterman was typical: 'Keep wiping out Iranian leadership and the nuclear personnel. We must provide whatever is necessary—military, intelligence, weaponry—to fully back Israel in striking Iran.' We should have the moral and intellectual honesty to see the truth: Our team, Team Genocide, are the enemies of peace and justice. I wish the Iranian people peace and prosperity. Eugene Doyle
1News
6 hours ago
- 1News
Marines in LA while cities across US prep for 'No Kings' rallies
After a week of protests over federal immigration raids, about 200 Marines have moved into Los Angeles to guard a federal building in the city while communities across the country prepped for what's anticipated to be a nationwide wave of large-scale demonstrations against President Donald Trump's polices this weekend. The Marine troops with rifles, combat gear and walkie-talkies took over some posts from National Guard members who were deployed to the city after the protests erupted last week. Those protests sparked dozens more over several days around the country, with some leading to clashes with police and hundreds of arrests. The Marines had not been seen on Los Angeles city streets until Friday (local time). They finished training on civil disturbance and have started to replace Guard members protecting the federal building west of downtown, so the Guard soldiers can be assigned to protect law enforcement officers on raids, the commander in charge of 4700 troops deployed to the LA protests said. The Marines moved into Los Angeles before Saturday's planned "No Kings" demonstrations nationally against Trump's policies, which will also happen the same day as a military parade in Washington, DC, when troops will march and tanks will rumble through the streets of the nation's capital. The Marines' arrival also came a day after the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked a federal judge's order that had directed Trump to return control of Guard troops to California. The judge had ruled the Guard deployment was illegal, violated the Tenth Amendment, which defines the power between state and federal governments, and exceeded Trump's statutory authority. The judge did not rule on the presence of the Marines. ADVERTISEMENT US Marines work next to members of the California National Guard outside of a federal building. (Source: Associated Press) Military mission Some 2000 National Guard troops were deployed to Los Angeles this week. Hundreds have provided protection to immigration agents making arrests. Another 2000 Guard members were notified of deployment earlier this week. None of the military troops will be detaining anyone, Major General Scott Sherman, the commander of Task Force 51 who is overseeing the 4700 combined troops, said. "I would like to emphasise that the soldiers will not participate in law enforcement activities," Sherman said. "Rather, they'll be focused on protecting federal law enforcement personnel." Roughly 500 National Guard members have been used to provide security on immigration raids after undergoing expanded instruction, legal training and rehearsals with the agents doing the enforcement before they go on those missions. By mid-afternoon Friday, more than a dozen Marines were stationed outside the 17-storey Wilshire Federal Building, replacing some members of the National Guard at various entrances. They mostly appeared to be checking tickets from members of the public who were there to renew their passports. ADVERTISEMENT US Senator Alex Padilla is pushed out of the room as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem holds a news conference regarding the recent protests in Los Angeles. (Source: Associated Press) The building is the same place Democratic US Senator Alex Padilla on Thursday was forcefully removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's news conference and handcuffed by officers as he tried to speak up about the immigration raids. There were no protesters around the building. Occasionally, a passing driver shouted from their window, registering a mix of anger and support for the military presence. Sherman said the US Marine Corps is responsible for guarding US embassies overseas, so they are well-trained on how to defend a federal building. California vs Trump California Govenor Gavin Newsom has called the troop deployment a "serious breach of state sovereignty" and a power grab by Trump, and he has gone to court to stop it. The president has cited a legal provision that allows him to mobilise federal service members when there is "a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States". A federal judge said in a ruling late Thursday that what is happening in Los Angeles does not meet the definition of a rebellion and issued an order to return control of the Guard to California before the appeals court stopped it from going into effect Friday. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump thanked the appeals court Friday morning. ADVERTISEMENT "If I didn't send the Military into Los Angeles, that city would be burning to the ground right now," he said. The court will hold a hearing on the matter Tuesday. Under federal law, active-duty forces are prohibited by law from conducting law enforcement. The Trump administration has characterised the city as a "war zone," which local authorities dispute. Recent protesters have drawn a few hundred attendees who marched through downtown chanting, dancing and poking fun at the Trump administration's characterisation of the city. There have been about 500 arrests since Saturday, mostly for failing to leave the area at the request of law enforcement, according to the police. There have been a handful of more serious charges, including for assault against officers and for possession of a Molotov cocktail and a gun. Nine officers have been hurt, mostly with minor injuries. An 8pm curfew has been in place in a 2.5-square-kilometre section of downtown. The city of Los Angeles encompasses roughly 1295-square-kilometres. Protests have ended after a few hours with arrests this week largely for failure to disperse. A protesters waves a flag standing by California National Guard parked along a street in Santa Ana (Source: Associated Press) ADVERTISEMENT 'No Kings' The "No Kings" demonstrations are planned in nearly 2000 locations around the country, according to the movement's website. A flagship march and rally are planned for Philadelphia, but no protests are scheduled to take place in Washington, DC, where the military parade will be held. Participants are expected to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation, organisers say. In Florida, state Attorney General James Uthmeier warned that any protesters who become violent will be dealt with harshly. States face questions on deploying troops Texas Govenor Greg Abbott, a Republican, has put 5000 National Guard members on standby in cities where demonstrations are planned. In other Republican-controlled states, governors have not said when or how they may deploy troops. A group of Democratic governors in a statement called Trump's deployments "an alarming abuse of power". ADVERTISEMENT Washington state Govenor Bob Ferguson took to social media Friday to call for peaceful protests over the weekend, to ensure the military is not sent to the state. "Don't give him an excuse to try and federalise the National Guard like he did in California," he said. Military parade The military parade in Washington which Trump had unsuccessfully pushed for during his first term — will also feature concerts, fireworks, NFL players, fitness competitions and displays all over the National Mall for daylong festivities. The celebration Saturday also happens to be Trump's birthday. The Army expects as many as 200,000 people could attend and says putting on the celebration will cost an estimated US$25 million (NZ$41.6 million) to US$45 million (NZ$74.9 million).
Scoop
10 hours ago
- Scoop
The West's War On Iran
I have visited Iran twice. Once in June 1980 to witness an unprecedented event: the world's first Islamic Revolution. It was the very start of my writing career. The second time was in 2018 and part of my interest was to get a sense of how disenchanted the population was - or was not - with life under the Ayatollahs decades after the creation of the Islamic Republic. I loved my time in Iran and found ordinary Iranians to be such wonderful, cultured and kind people. When I heard the news today of Israel's attack on Iran I had the kind of emotional response that should never be seen in public. I was apoplectic with rage and disgust, I vented bitterly and emotively. Then I calmed down. And here is what I would like to say. Just last week former CIA officer Ray McGovern, who wrote daily intelligence briefings for the US President during his 27-year career, reminded me when I interviewed him that the assessment of the US intelligence community has been for years that Iran ceased its nuclear weapons programme in 2003 and had not recommenced since. The departing CIA director William Burns confirmed this assessment recently. Propaganda aside, there is nothing new other than a US-Israeli campaign that has shredded any concept of international laws or norms. I won't mince words: what we are witnessing is the racist, genocidal Israeli regime, armed and encouraged by the US, Germany, UK and other Western regimes, launching a war that has no justification other than the expansion of Israeli power and the advancement of its Greater Israel project. This year, using American, German and British armaments, supported by underlings like Australia and New Zealand, the Israelis have pursued their genocide against the Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza, and attacked various neighbours, including Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Iran. They represent a clear and present danger to peace and stability in the region. Iran has operated with considerable restraint but has also shown its willingness to use its military to keep the US-Israeli menace at bay. What most people forget is that the project to secure Iran's borders and keep the likes of the British, Israelis and Americans out is a multi-generational project that long predates the Islamic Revolution. I would recommend 'Iran: A modern history' by the US-based scholar Abbas Amanat that provides a long-view of the evolution of the Iranian state and how it has survived centuries of pressure and multiple occupations from imperial powers, including Russia, Britain, the US and others. The country was raped by the Brits and the Americans and has won a hard-fought independence that is being seriously challenged, not from within, but by the Israelis and the Western warlords who have wrecked so many countries and killed millions of men, women and children in the region over recent decades. I spoke and messaged with Iranian friends today both in Iran and in New Zealand and the response was consistent. They felt, one of them said, 10 times more hurt and emotional than I did. Understandable. A New Zealand-based Iranian friend had to leave work as soon as he heard the news. He scanned Iranian social media and found people were upset, angry and overwhelmingly supportive of the government. 'They destroyed entire apartment buildings! Why?', 'People will be very supportive of the regime now because they have attacked civilians.' 'My parents are in the capital. I was so scared for them.' Just a couple of years ago scholars like Professor Amanat estimated that core support for the regime was probably only around 20%. That was my impression too when I visited in 2018. Israel and the US have changed that. Nationalism and an existential menace will see Iranians rally around the flag. Something I learnt in Iran, in between visiting the magnificent ruins of the capital of the Achaemenid Empire at Persepolis, exploring a Zoroastrian Tower of Silence, chowing down on insanely good food in Yazd, talking with a scholar and then a dissident in Isfahan, and exploring an ancient Sassanian fort and a caravanserai in the eastern desert, was that the Iranians are the most politically astute people in the region. Many I spoke to were quite open about their disdain for the regime but none of them sought a counter-revolution. They knew what that would bring: the wolves (the Americans, the Israelis, the Saudis, and other bad actors) would slip in and tear the country apart. Slow change is the smarter option when you live in this neighbourhood. Iranians are overwhelmingly well-educated, profoundly courteous and kind, and have a deep sense of history. They know more than enough about what happened to them and to so many other countries once a great power sees an opening. War is a truly horrific thing that always brings terrible suffering to ordinary people. It is very rarely justified. Iran was actively negotiating with the Americans who, we now know, were briefed on the attack in advance and will possibly join the attack in the near future. US senators are baying for Judeo-Christian jihad. Democrat senator John Fetterman was typical: 'Keep wiping out Iranian leadership and the nuclear personnel. We must provide whatever is necessary—military, intelligence, weaponry—to fully back Israel in striking Iran.' We should have the moral and intellectual honesty to see the truth: Our team, Team Genocide, are the enemies of peace and justice. I wish the Iranian people peace and prosperity. Eugene Doyle Eugene Doyle is a writer based in Wellington. He has written extensively on the Middle East, as well as peace and security issues in the Asia Pacific region. He hosts the public policy platform
