Netanyahu asks Trump to halt Turkey’s F-35 supply as tensions between Ankara and Israel resurface

Tensions between Turkey and Israel have once again come back into focus after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked US President Donald Trump not to approve the sale of weapons systems that would strengthen Turkey’s air power. According to him, the rhetoric of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan toward the Jewish state remains a concern.

At the center of talks between Washington and Ankara is a deal worth around $700 million, which предусматриes the supply of new engines for Turkish fighter jets, as well as the possibility of Turkey rejoining the F-35 fighter jet program. Ankara was excluded from the program in 2019 after purchasing the Russian S-400 air defense system, which the US considers incompatible with the security of F-35 technology.

Recently, US Vice President JD Vance said the Pentagon is examining a possible solution that would pave the way for Turkey to buy these highly advanced military aircraft, even though it possesses the S-400 system. In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said that providing F-35s to Turkey, or even new engines for its fighter aircraft, would affect the military balance in the Middle East, underscoring that Israel’s air superiority remains essential for security in the region.

Meanwhile, Israel’s ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, announced that the next round of talks between Israel and Lebanon will be held in Rome on July 15 and 16 at ambassadorial level. He also said that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is expected to meet US President Donald Trump on July 21.

These developments come amid concern over a new wave of tensions in the region, after reports that an oil tanker was struck by a “projectile of unknown origin” while sailing south near the coast of Oman, close to the Strait of Hormuz. Following the incident, a fire broke out on board the vessel, while no casualties have been reported.