Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
The United States had approved the sale of fighter jets and other arms to Israel in deals worth over $20 billion, the Pentagon announced on August 13.
In a statement, the Pentagon said that Secretary of State Antony Blinken approved the possible sale of 50 F-15 jets and equipment worth nearly $19 billion. Blinken also approved the possible sale of 33,000 tank shells and 50,000 mortar shells worth around $774 million and army vehicles worth $583 million, it added.
The tank rounds would be almost immediately available for delivery. The F-15 fighter jets, including 50 F-15IA fighter jets -the Israeli Air Force variant of the advanced F-15EX- and kits for Israel’s existing F-15, are only expected to arrive starting in 2029.
The State Department notified Congress of the approval, claiming in a statement that the arms sale is vital to U.S. national interests.
“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability,” the State Department said in the statement, noting the importance of the F-15 deal.
The sale of the tank ammunition “will improve Israel’s capability to meet current and future enemy threats, strengthen its homeland defense and serve as a deterrent to regional threats,” it added.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant thanked Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for approving the arms seal.
The sale will advance “critical force buildup initiatives that assist Israel in developing and maintaining its qualitative military edge in the region,” Gallant wrote on X.
“This includes incorporating F-15IAs into the IAF fleet of fighter aircraft, and providing critical munition to ensure Israel’s capabilities and security,” he added. “As we fight to defend Israel on 7 different fronts, your message of support and commitment to Israel’s security are clear.”
The arms sale came more than ten months into Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip, which has so far claimed the lives of nearly 40,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
It also came as as Israel is preparing for a possible response to its recent strikes on the Houthi-held Yemeni Red Sea port of al-Hodeida as well as for the assassinations of Hezbollah’s military chief Fuad Shukr in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, and Hamas’s leader Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
Israel continues to receive support from the U.S. despite its unwillingness to engage in meaningful talks on a ceasefire in Gaza and its continuous escalation against Iran and its allies in the Middle East. This unconditional support could eventually push the region into an all-out war, which Washington will have to fight on behalf of Israel.
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