US destroyer coordinates with Israel to intercept Iranian missiles
Oct 02, 2024
Washington [US], October 2: US President Joe Biden said he has directed the military to support Israel's defense against the launch of hundreds of missiles from Iran.
President Joe Biden said on October 1 that he had directed the US military to help Israel intercept missiles launched from Iran - an attack by Tehran that Biden said was ineffective, ABC News reported the same day.
"This is a testament to the military capabilities of Israel and its military, and it is a testament to the careful planning between the United States and Israel to anticipate and defend against the attack that we had anticipated," Biden said.
Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said two US Navy destroyers based in the eastern Mediterranean, the USS Bulkeley and the USS Cole, fired about 10 interceptor missiles at the Iranian missiles headed toward Israel. He added that no other US ground-based weapons assisted in the interception.
Speaking at a press conference on October 1, Mr. Ryder did not elaborate on the discussion between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, only saying that Washington is consulting closely with Tel Aviv on the next steps and continuing to protect Israel. Previously, the two senior defense officials discussed options to deal with the scenario of an Iranian attack, according to The Times of Israel.
In April, the US also dispatched aircraft and activated air defense systems to help Tel Aviv intercept hundreds of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched from Iran.
Iran launched more than 200 missiles at Israel on October 1. The US said that initial assessments showed that Tehran used ballistic missiles and not drones.
Washington warned Iran of consequences for its attack on Israel on October 1, calling on the international community to join in condemning Tehran. Iran's mission to the United Nations said the attack on Israel was justified. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Tehran exercised its right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter and only targeted military targets.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
