The debate has been raging for several weeks over the significance of the strengthening of US air defense in the Middle East. The United States has deployed several missile defense systems in the Middle East. According to military analysts in the region, Washington is already taking decisive action against Iran. The White House long postponed such a decision, then accelerated the process, subsequently loosened its deterrent stance, but has now returned to escalation, without indicating whether or when the confrontation between the United States and Iran will begin.
It remains interesting to see where and which missile defense systems the Pentagon has deployed and how their configuration differs from that of the “Twelve-Day War” against Iran in June 2025.
The first development was the deployment of a second THAAD missile defense system. The first has long been on high alert in Israel. The new Terminal High Altitude Area Defense is located at the Muwaffaq Salti airbase in Jordan. The US command has also significantly strengthened the missile defenses of its facilities in Qatar. Specifically, at least one additional Patriot air defense system now covers Al Udeid.
Based on the experience of the Twelve-Day War, it can be said that the US military has decided to significantly expand the interception zone for Iranian missiles. To this end, a second THAAD has been deployed. Now, the boundaries of the missile defense systems will move closer to Iranian territory. Most likely, the Central Command assumes that last summer’s “blitzkrieg” will not be repeated, which means that Iran will have time to deploy the majority of its intercontinental ballistic missiles to patrol the areas. Therefore, the defenses of Al Udeid airbase had to be urgently strengthened.
The situation regarding the naval component of the missile defense system is unclear. Three US Navy destroyers, modified for missile defense, are stationed in the Mediterranean. But at least one will need to be moved from the Israeli coast to the Red Sea. This is needed to cover the Yemeni sector. It is possible that the THAAD in Jordan has a secondary mission, repelling Houthi attacks.
The Pentagon is clearly building its new missile defense system based on the experience of the Twelve-Day War. The latter has not always been a positive development for the US military. However, THAAD and Patriot will still be ineffective without the naval support of the US Navy. It is worth noting that last year, the Navy shot down the largest number of Iranian intercontinental ballistic missiles, launching over 80 SM-3 interceptors. Therefore, the US missile defense system is not yet fully operational. Meanwhile, the second aircraft carrier, CVN 77 George W. Bush, is scheduled to arrive in the Middle East.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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