The Pentagon intends to return the two Iron Dome missile defense systems it had previously purchased from Israel so it could defend itself against terrorist missiles, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing a US official and a congressional aide.
According to the report, the Department of Defense told members of Congress at a briefing on Wednesday it planned to lease the Iron Dome systems back to Israel. In this type of financial arrangement, the ownership remains with the buyer.
The transfer back to Israel could come within days, the congressional aide told Reuters.
The Pentagon had been considering and testing the systems as a way to defend the territory of Guam from Chinese missiles.
The Pentagon declined to comment.
Earlier on Thursday, the Israel Ministry of Defense received a cargo plane from the United States, carrying the initial shipment of armored vehicles designated for use by the Israel Defense Forces. The vehicles are being transferred to the IDF to replace those damaged during the war.
This delivery is part of a large-scale procurement operation led by the Israel Ministry of Defense's Directorate of Production and Procurement (DOPP) and the US Procurement Mission, aimed at bolstering the IDF's fleet of vehicles to address a range of operational scenarios.
Hundreds of vehicles have already been delivered to the IDF by the Israel Ministry of Defense, with several hundred more currently en route to Israel.
During his visit to the country on Wednesday, US President Biden said that the US would ensure Israel "has what it needs to defend itself."