The Biden administration is sending an advanced anti-missile defense system and 100 U.S. troops to Israel as Israel prepares to launch retaliatory strikes against Iran. In a statement, a Pentagon spokesperson said, “This action 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.” The missile defense system is known as THAAD, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. Over the past year, the U.S. has sent over 50,000 tons of armaments and military equipment to Israel, but this marks the first significant deployment of troops to Israel over the past year. A new study by the Cost of War Project at Brown University estimates the U.S. has spent nearly $23 billion during that time on the Israeli military and related operations.