Turkey emerges as Israel's biggest strategic threat while Iran fades
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is lobbying against potential U.S. sales of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, citing concerns over Turkey's rising regional influence. Netanyahu argues that Turkey is attempting to fill a power vacuum left by a declining Iran, potentially threatening Israel's security.
Why it matters
This highlights shifting geopolitical alliances in the Middle East and the tension between U.S. foreign policy and the security concerns of its regional allies.
History, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recent Channel 14 interview, “teaches that when one regional power declines, another rises. Our task is to make sure Israel continues rising faster than anyone else.”This explains why Netanyahu launched a public campaign in the US this week against President Donald Trump's apparent willingness to sell the state-of-the-art F-35 fighter to Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Turkey, the state now furiously jockeying to replace Iran as the region's dominant power.Indeed, with the sun setting on Iran's regional hegemony, despite diplomatic missteps that let Tehran off the ropes before a knockout blow, its military capabilities and web of regional proxies have been severely degraded, the sun is rising on Turkey's ambitions.Already entrenched in Syria, steadily expanding an indigenous defense industry capable of producing sophisticated drones, naval vessels, and eventually advanced fighter aircraft, and seeking a foothold in Gaza, Ankara increasingly appears intent on filling the…
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