WSJ: U.S. beefs up air defense in the Middle East in case of an Iranian strike

The Pentagon is deploying additional air defense assets in the Middle East to protect its allies in case of an Iranian attack. This was reported by the newspaper The Wall Street Journal about unnamed interlocutors familiar with the matter.

Promised by US President Donald Trump, the "Armada" arrived in the Middle East, and modern F-35 fighters approached the region.

The US president has not yet said whether and how he will use force against Iran. But American airstrikes are not inevitable, the interlocutors said.

Against this backdrop, the Pentagon is deploying additional air defense assets to better protect Israel, Arab allies, and U.S. troops in the event of Iranian retaliation and a potential protracted conflict.

The US military could conduct limited air strikes against Iran if Trump gives the order, the interlocutors said. Such actions would likely provoke a response from Iran, which would require the United States to have reliable air defense capabilities to protect Israel as well as American troops, the officials added.

The military already has air defense assets in the region, including destroyers capable of shooting down air targets. However, according to Pentagon officials and satellite imagery, the department is deploying an additional THAAD battery and Patriot air defense systems to bases where U.S. troops are stationed throughout the Middle East, including Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.

THAAD systems are capable of intercepting ballistic missiles above the Earth's atmosphere, while Patriot systems protect against threats of lower altitude and range.

The United States has also deployed three squadrons of F-15E fighter jets in Jordan, which could play a role in shooting down Iranian drones. These fighters shot down drones in April 2024 during Iran's attack on Israel.

The media reports that last week, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said they would not allow the United States to use their airspace and territory to attack Iran. These statements were intended to protect themselves from an Iranian retaliatory strike.

• On January 18, 2026, Axios wrote that the U.S. military was ready on Trump's order to strike Iran, but it never came.
• On January 26, the US president said that the situation with Iran is changing, as he has sent a "great armada," but the politician believes that Tehran really wants to make a deal.
• Khamenei threatened regional war if the United States launches strikes against Iran.