A new report from Israeli media has revealed that Israel intends to approach the United States to seek expanded weapons transfers and enhanced defense capabilities, framing the request as compensation for Washington’s recent greenlighting of a potential F-35 fighter jet sale to Saudi Arabia.
Israeli digital news outlet Walla first broke the story Friday, citing sources familiar with Israeli government planning that indicate senior Israeli officials will ask the Trump administration to approve a series of advanced weapons systems that the U.S. has previously rejected transferring to Israel.
According to Walla’s reporting, the scope of Israel’s requested capabilities stretches far beyond cutting-edge fighter aircraft and stealth technology. The proposed request covers a range of high-end military assets, including space-based weapons platforms and support for the domestic development and manufacturing of interceptor aircraft. Additionally, Israeli officials are set to ask for bunker-busting munitions and specialized underground military systems engineered to operate deep beneath rugged, rocky mountain terrain. All of these asks are tied directly to the U.S.’s approval of the potential Saudi F-35 deal, with Israel seeking a compensatory package to preserve its military positioning in the Middle East, the outlet reported.
The revelation of Israel’s planned request follows a formal announcement from the U.S. State Department, which gave preliminary approval to a potential $24.3 billion arms package that would deliver 48 F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation fighter jets to Riyadh. Alongside the aircraft, the proposed deal includes 49 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines, specialized communications and cryptographic security equipment, electronic warfare support systems, pilot and maintenance training, and full logistics support, according to the formal notification the State Department submitted to Congress.
Despite the State Department’s preliminary approval, the proposed sale still faces a key procedural hurdle: it must secure final approval from the U.S. Congress before it can move forward.
Middle East Eye (MEE), an independent outlet focused on regional coverage, has tracked the progression of the deal for months, with multiple U.S. and Arab sources confirming that negotiations have moved at an accelerated pace. In November, MEE first reported that the F-35 purchase would be fast-tracked as part of a new comprehensive defense partnership between Washington and Riyadh, an agreement finalized during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s high-profile visit to the White House. A follow-up MEE report in December revealed that the Trump administration had launched a formal review of Israel’s long-recognized qualitative military edge in the region, a required step in processing the Saudi sale.
Early this year, senior U.S. military officials held a series of closed-door, confidential meetings with members of Congress to brief lawmakers on the details of the proposed deal. This summer, Saudi Defense Minister Khaled bin Salman made multiple trips to Washington, with advancing the F-35 deal a top priority on his agenda, multiple U.S. officials confirmed to MEE.
If the sale is finalized, Saudi Arabia will become the first Arab nation to operate the F-35, the most advanced stealth fighter jet in current U.S. military inventory. For the moment, Israel remains the only country in the Middle East that operates the aircraft.
As international news outlet Reuters noted, the proposed sale puts Washington’s decades-long policy of guaranteeing Israel’s qualitative military edge over all regional adversaries to the test.
The move to acquire advanced fighter jets comes as Saudi Arabia faces escalating security threats from ongoing Houthi missile and drone attacks on its territory. At the same time, the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized Yemeni government has struggled to repel a recent Houthi offensive that has allowed the group to seize control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline, as well as the Arabian Gulf side of the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait.