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In early February, the Pentagon revealed that it was planning to obtain a limited number of Iron Dome missile defense systems “to fill its short-term need for an interim Indirect Fire Protection Capability”. According to Department of Defense spokesman Eric Pahon, the US Army would “assess and experiment” with the system to protect its troops from a “variety of indirect fire threats and aerial threats”.
Neither Pahon, nor the Iron Dome manufacturer specified the exact number of systems that the US is planning to buy, or the value of the future contract. No details regarind how the US was going to use the obtained short-range system were also revaled.
However, recently, Israeli media outlets have started spreading speculations that the US may use the obtained system in Syria. According to nziv.net, the US is going to deploy the obtained system at its military base in the southeastern Syrian area of al-Tanf. This base was set up to control one of the key highways linking Syria, Iraq and Iran and will not likely be removed even despite the formal withdrawal of US troops. Even if US forces are withdrawn from this part of Syria, they will still be deployed on the Iraqi side of the border.
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