Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressuring the U.S. to block F-35 sales to Türkiye, seeking to maintain Israel’s military edge.
According to senior Western officials, Netanyahu raised the issue multiple times with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in March and April 2025.
“Netanyahu has privately said he will push Trump against the F-35 sale,” one source said, though he has yet to bring it up directly with Trump.
Rubio, a known Türkiye hawk, is seen by Netanyahu’s team as “instrumental in stopping the F-35 deal.”
A source close to Ankara downplayed the lobbying effort:
“Netanyahu could only demand Trump to sell more F-35s to Israel… You cannot tell Trump not to make that sale.”