Israel is preparing to request additional U.S. weapons systems—including space-based weapons and deep-penetration munitions—after Washington approved the potential sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, according to Israeli media reports cited by Middle East Eye.
The move reflects Israel's determination to maintain its military superiority in a region where the balance of power is shifting. It also underscores the complexity of U.S. policy in the Middle East, where Washington's effort to strengthen Arab allies against Iran risks undermining its longstanding commitment to Israel's qualitative military edge.
What Israel Wants
Israeli officials are expected to ask the Trump administration to approve weapons systems Washington had previously declined to provide, according to Walla. The reported requests extend beyond advanced fighter aircraft and stealth capabilities to space-based weapons and the development and production of interceptor aircraft. Israeli officials are also expected to seek bunker-busting munitions and underground systems capable of operating deep beneath rocky mountains.
Walla said the requests are intended to secure a U.S. "compensation" package following Washington's decision to approve the potential F-35 sale to Riyadh. The U.S. State Department approved the possible $24.3 billion sale on the same day as this report. The proposed package also includes 49 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines, communications and cryptographic equipment, electronic warfare support, training and logistics, according to the State Department's notification to Congress. The proposed sale still requires congressional approval.
The Regional Context
Middle East Eye said it had reported for months on the progress of the sale, with multiple U.S. and Arab sources saying it was moving quickly. The sale would make Saudi Arabia the first Arab country to operate F-35s, while Israel is currently the only Middle Eastern country operating the aircraft. Reuters reported that the proposed sale could test Washington's longstanding policy of maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge in the region.
Saudi Arabia is reeling from Houthi missile and drone attacks while its allies in Yemen, the internationally recognized government, are struggling to stem a Houthi offensive that has resulted in them securing the entirety of Yemen's Red Sea coastline, along with the Arabian Gulf side of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, according to Middle East Eye. The Saudi request for F-35s reflects Riyadh's assessment that it needs more advanced capabilities to counter threats from Iran's regional network.
The Policy Dilemma
The U.S. now faces a diplomatic and strategic puzzle: how to arm Saudi Arabia against Iranian proxies without eroding Israel's military advantage. For decades, Washington has maintained that Israel must retain the ability to defend itself against any combination of regional adversaries. That principle has guided every major arms sale in the Middle East. The F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia doesn't necessarily violate that policy—but it narrows the gap.
Israel's reported compensation requests suggest that Jerusalem sees the Saudi deal as a shift in the regional balance, one that requires a U.S. response. Whether the Trump administration will approve systems it previously withheld remains unclear. Middle East Eye said it revealed less than one year ago that the Trump administration was reviewing Israel's qualitative military edge.
Why This Matters:
The reported Israeli requests reveal how arms sales in the Middle East are never isolated transactions—they're part of a regional security architecture where every deal triggers a recalibration. If Washington approves advanced systems for Israel to offset the Saudi F-35 sale, it sets a precedent that could drive a Middle East arms race at a time when diplomatic efforts to contain Iran and stabilize Yemen have stalled. The cycle of military escalation makes a negotiated regional security framework—one that addresses Iranian influence, Palestinian statehood, and Gulf security concerns—harder to imagine. Instead, the region moves toward a future where every country's security depends on outspending and out-arming its neighbors, with the United States as the primary supplier to all sides. That's a model that enriches defense contractors but doesn't produce peace.