America will deploy around 100 soldiers to Israel to help operate anti-missile systems aimed at protecting the Jewish state from potential missile attacks launched by adversaries in the region, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran, the Defense Department announced Sunday. 

The move comes as America and the world wait for Prime Minister Netanyahu’s expected retaliation against Iran for launching hundreds of missiles at Israel in early October, which left several injured and one Palestinian man dead. Mr. Netanyahu warned on the day of the attack that Iran “will pay” for the assault. 

The Pentagon says the anti-missile technology is being deployed as part of America’s “ironclad commitment” to defending Israel from threats in the region. 

“At the direction of the President, Secretary Austin authorized the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and associated crew of U.S. military personnel to Israel to help bolster Israel’s air defenses,” the Pentagon’s press secretary, Major General Pat Ryder said in a statement. He said the move “underscores the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran.”

“It is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias,” the Pentagon says. 

Major General Ryder noted that this should not be seen as an unprecedented step, given that President Biden ordered the deployment of THAAD systems following the October 7 attack. President Trump also deployed the anti-missile technology to the region for a training exercise in 2019. 

The question of what kind of response Israel will initiate has loomed over America and the presidential race since the rockets hit Tel Aviv. Just hours after Iran’s bombing of Israel, Governor Walz and Senator Vance appeared for their first and only vice presidential debate. The first question they were asked was what Israel’s response to the attack should be. 

Mr. Biden has said Israel should not initiate a bombing campaign of Iran’s nuclear sites, which is the measure some expect Mr. Netanyahu to take in the coming days. The day after the bombings, the president told reporters that he felt a strike on nuclear capabilities would be a step too far. “The answer is no,” Mr. Biden said when asked if he would support such a campaign. 

On Sunday, President Trump would not rule out supporting Israel’s bombing of nuclear sites. “You can’t let them have nuclear weapons. When I left, Iran was broke,” Trump said of hitting Iran. 

Vice President Harris has made clear that she views Iran as an existential threat to security in the region, saying that the country is America’s greatest enemy on the world stage. 

“I think there’s an obvious one in mind, which is Iran,” she told “60 Minutes” when asked which country is America’s greatest threat. 

“Iran has American blood on their hands,” the vice president said. Ms. Harris added that one of her “highest priorities” is “to ensure Iran never achieves the ability to be a nuclear power.”