The United States informed the Prime Minister’s Office that it intends to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia in a $25 billion deal, an Israeli official confirmed to Walla on Friday.
‘Israel’ is expected to seek “compensation” from Washington in the form of weapons systems that the US has so far declined to sell to ‘Israel’, The Jerusalem Post cited a report by Walla.
A source familiar with the details told Walla that the Israeli army would prefer that no other country in the Middle East receive the stealth fighter, in order to preserve Israeli “qualitative operational advantage”. However, the source stressed that even if the deal is signed soon, Saudi Arabia would receive its first aircraft only in five years.
Walla was also told that “Israel continues to hold a clear operational advantage over other countries” that have purchased the aircraft from the United States.
NEW: Israel is expected to seek additional weapons systems from the U.S. after Washington informed Israel of plans to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia in a reported $25 billion deal.
— Clash Report (@clashreport) September 18, 2026
Israeli officials told Walla they would seek "compensation" from Washington, including… pic.twitter.com/rboEIbLs0i
That advantage stems not only from the extensive operational experience accumulated by the Israeli Air Force and its pilots over the past three years, but also from Israeli-made weapons systems that ‘Israel’ has received approval to integrate into its Adir aircraft, the Israeli version of the F-35, according to the report.
‘Israel’ also operates an Adir test aircraft used to develop advanced capabilities for the fighter. The United States, for example, does not operate an aircraft of this type, Walla added.
‘Israel’ has previously voiced concerns about Riyadh buying F-35s, despite a push to normalize relations with the Zionist entity.
The United States has approved a $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 stealth warplanes to Saudi Arabia, the State Department said Thursday, the kingdom’s latest major arms purchase since the start of the war on Iran.
The proposed F-35 sale reflects the strength and enduring nature of the Saudi-U.S. strategic partnership and the continued advancement of our defense cooperation.
— Saudi Embassy USA (@SaudiEmbassyUSA) September 18, 2026
For decades, Saudi-U.S. security cooperation has contributed to regional stability, strengthened our collective… https://t.co/IOurlYEcbl
Source: Israeli media