US President Donald Trump was “pissed off” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public opposition to a potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, Axios reported on Thursday, as the Israeli leader struggled to secure another White House meeting amid disputes over Turkey and Iran.
Two White House officials told the news website that no meeting had been scheduled despite reports in the Israeli media that Netanyahu would meet with Trump on Monday.
One official said Trump was angered by Netanyahu’s remarks during a Fox News interview shortly before the US president traveled to Ankara for the July 7-8 NATO summit, while another said Trump believed Netanyahu had “no right” to intervene in the possible weapons sale.
Netanyahu argued that Turkey should not receive F-35s or US engines for its KAAN fighter jet, accusing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government of supporting Islamist groups and warning that the weapons would weaken Israel’s air superiority in the Middle East.
Trump announced during his meeting with Erdoğan in Ankara that he would lift US sanctions imposed on Turkey and consider allowing Ankara to buy the F-35s.
The US removed Turkey from the F-35 program in 2019 after Ankara acquired the Russian S-400 air defense system, which Washington says could collect information about the stealth aircraft and expose it to Russia.
Washington imposed sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) in 2020, and US law prohibits the transfer of F-35s to Turkey while the country possesses the S-400 system. Six Turkish-owned F-35s remain in storage in the United States, while the $1.7 billion paid by Ankara remains in US hands, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Netanyahu has sought a meeting with Trump for more than two weeks after visiting the Oval Office six times since Trump returned to office in January 2025, more than any other foreign leader during that period, Axios reported.
His office had prepared for a trip to Washington to attend a memorial service for former senator Lindsey Graham but canceled the visit Thursday after the service was postponed.
“Our impression was that Bibi was trying to will a meeting into existence,” a White House official told Axios, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.
White House officials did not rule out a meeting when Netanyahu eventually travels to Washington for Graham’s memorial service.
The dispute comes amid tensions over the war with Iran, with US Vice President JD Vance accusing members of the Israeli government this week of trying to influence US public opinion and undermine negotiations in order to keep the conflict going indefinitely.