All 6 THAAD launchers return to Seongju from Osan

Truck-mounted launchers for a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system are stationed at a U.S. military base in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, June 21. Yonhap

All six launchers of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system deployed in the southeastern county of Seongju have returned to base following their relocation in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, sources said Sunday.

The truck-mounted launchers were reported to have moved from Seongju to Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, about 60 kilometers south of Seoul, in March, fueling speculation the U.S. military was planning to transfer THAAD missile interceptors to the Middle East to support the war.

The launchers and other parts of the THAAD battery, however, were believed to have remained in South Korea, as some of the trucks were later seen returning to Seongju.

U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson told a Senate hearing in April that THAAD remained in South Korea.

"Currently, we are sending munitions forward, and those are sitting right now waiting to move," he said at the time, without elaborating.