Trump announces $8.6B Boeing F-15 jet deal for Israel after meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu

WASHINGTON, DC: The United States has announced a major defense contract with Boeing for Israel, alongside high‑level discussions between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The deal and discussions occurred amid ongoing regional tensions, including the conflict in Gaza and broader Middle East security concerns involving Iran's nuclear program.

Trump hosted Netanyahu at his Mar‑a‑Lago estate in Florida on Monday, December 29, where they addressed both military cooperation and regional security.

Department of War greenlights Boeing F‑15 contract to Israel

According to the US Department of War, a $8.6 billion contract was awarded to Boeing for the F‑15 Israel Program, which will supply the Israeli Air Force with 25 new F‑15IA fighter jets, with an option for an additional 25 aircraft.

This contract covers design, integration, instrumentation, testing, production, and delivery of the aircraft, with work to be carried out in St. Louis and expected to be completed by December 31, 2035, according to the Pentagon.

The Pentagon described the contract as part of foreign military sales to Israel, noting that the United States has historically been the largest arms supplier to its key ally in the Middle East.

In March 2025, the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, reiterated the Trump administration’s strong commitment to Israel in terms of military support, stating, “I have signed a declaration to invoke emergency authorities to expedite the delivery of approximately $4 billion in military assistance to Israel.”

Rubio further claimed, "The decision to reverse the Biden Administration’s partial arms embargo, which wrongly withheld a number of weapons and ammunition from Israel, is yet another sign that Israel has no greater ally in the White House than President Trump."

The military deal comes amid pro‑Palestinian and anti‑war protests across the United States, where demonstrators have repeatedly called for an end to American military support for Israel due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. 

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu discuss Gaza and Iran

In a press conference at Mar‑a‑Lago following their meeting, Trump and Netanyahu addressed several key geopolitical issues.

Trump addressed Iran's weapons program, “I've been reading that they're building up weapons and other things, and if they are, they're not using the sites we obliterated, but possibly different sites.”

He added, “We know exactly where they're going, what they're doing, and I hope they're not doing it because we don't want to waste fuel on a B-2. It's a 37-hour trip both ways. I don't want to waste a lot of fuel.”

Addressing Hamas, Trump warned, “There will be hell to pay,” if the group does not lay down its arms. He emphasized that Israel had lived up to its side of the Gaza ceasefire deal reached in October while blaming Hamas for refusing to disarm.

On advancing the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, Trump said he wanted 'to move to the second phase of the ceasefire deal between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas reached in October after two years of fighting in Gaza,' which involves international peacekeeping forces in the Palestinian enclave.

Netanyahu also noted that Trump had invited him for the talks, as Washington pushes to establish transitional governance for the Palestinian enclave amid Israeli reluctance to move forward.