US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) brushed off Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ‘opposition’ to the potential sale of American F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.
These remarks by the US President come as Netanyahu is set to hold a meeting with him at the White House on Tuesday, the first time since the beginning of the conflict with Iran on February 28, 2026.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “Turkey has been a tremendous ally for me.”
“Nobody tells me what we should be selling,” the US President added.
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What Netanyahu said about sale of F-35 jets to Turkey
Earlier this month, Israeli PM Netanyahu, in an interview with CNN, had voiced his opposition to the potential sale of US-made F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. Netanyahu noted that the sale of America’s fighter aircraft “doesn’t make Turkey a friendly state to the United States.”
Furthermore, Netanyahu also warned that supplying the F-35 fighter jets to Turkey would “destroy the power balance in the Middle East.”
This came after US President Trump had reportedly indicated he was considering reversing restrictions imposed during his first term.
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Trump-Netanyahu meeting
Since the start of the Iran war, relations between Netanyahu and Trump have often appeared strained, although both leaders have sought to tone things down.
On February 28, joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran resulted in the death of Iran’s then Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, alongside several other senior officials. In response, Iran targeted US and Israeli assets across the region and tightened its control over the Strait of Hormuz. The tensions in the region have sparked global concerns.
The ongoing war in the Middle East is likely to be the primary focus of Tuesday’s talks between the two leaders.
In Tuesday’s meeting, the leaders are also expected to discuss the implementation of a US-sponsored framework deal signed by Israel and Lebanon last month, according to an AFP report.
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The meeting will be the eighth between the leaders since Trump’s return to office last year, as well as their first in-person talks since the war began.
