Key facts
- Netanyahu asked the US not to sell F-35 jets to Turkey
- Reason cited: concerns over regional 'power balance'
- Turkey was removed from the F-35 programme in 2019 over its S-400 purchase
- Turkey is a NATO member and has sought re-entry to the F-35 programme
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged the United States to block the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkey, warning that such a transfer would upset the regional 'power balance', according to NDTV. The move signals how aggressively Israel is working to shape American arms sales decisions in the Middle East even as it continues its military campaign in Gaza.
Turkey was ejected from the F-35 programme in 2019 after Ankara proceeded with the purchase of Russia's S-400 missile defence system — a move that alarmed NATO allies and led to US sanctions. Since then, Turkey has sought to re-enter the programme, and recent diplomatic warming between Ankara and Washington has renewed speculation that the ban could be lifted. Netanyahu's intervention is aimed squarely at preventing that outcome.
The Israeli request puts the Biden — and now Trump — administration in a difficult position, balancing its deep security commitment to Israel against the strategic importance of Turkey, a NATO member with one of the alliance's largest armies and a critical geographic position bridging Europe and Asia. Trump's relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan adds another layer of complexity to the calculation.
For defence analysts watching South Asia, the episode is a reminder of how US arms sale decisions ripple outward. India itself operates a mixed fleet and has navigated carefully around US arms packages to Pakistan. The geopolitical choreography of who gets American military technology — and who doesn't — remains one of the defining tools of Washington's foreign policy.