Israel asked the United States to send a second THAAD battery for its protection in case of an Iranian reaction to an expected Israeli retaliatory strike, according to Channel 12.

The Pentagon confirmed last Sunday that Washington will send an advanced air defense battery to Israel, along with American soldiers to operate it.

The THAAD system is considered a complement to the Patriot system but can defend a wider area and is capable of hitting targets at distances ranging from 150 to 200 kilometers (93-124 miles).

Each battery consists of six launchers mounted on trucks, 48 interceptor missiles, and radio and radar equipment, and requires 95 soldiers to operate.

Iran is preparing for an Israeli response following its attack on October 1, which it claimed was in retaliation for Israeli strikes in Lebanon last month that killed the top leadership of the Hezbollah terrorist group, an Iranian proxy, and an explosion in July in Tehran that killed Hamas's political bureau chief Ismail Haniya.