An Israeli F-35 aircraft flies during an air show in Tel Aviv on 26 April 2023. [Getty]
Israel is demanding compensation from the US after being notified of its intention to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, according to Israeli news outlet Walla.
The State Department said Thursday it had approved the sale of 48 planes to Saudi Arabia in a deal worth $24.3 billion.
Israel has long opposed the sale of the advanced aircraft to other countries in the region to preserve its technological superiority.
The US has so far only allowed the sale of F-35s to its closest allies, including a number of European NATO allies and Israel, which is currently the only country in the Middle East with access to F-35s.
After being informed of the Saudi deal, Israel is demanding the US agree to provide it with weapons it has so far refused to sell it, the Israeli outlet reported, citing an anonymous Israeli official.
The official did not disclose which weapons it has requested.
It is also demanding it be allowed to participate in the development and production of classified weapon systems.
US officials said this week they are planning to deliver tens of thousands of heavy 2,000-pound bombs to Israel as part of an upcoming arms deal.
Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region have long sought to purchase F-35s, which are advanced fifth-generation stealth fighters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pressured Trump not to sell the aircraft to Turkey, which entered talks with the US over a potential deal earlier this year.
