Outgoing US Secretary of Defense James Mattis reportedly thwarted a USD500 million arms deal between Israel and Croatia involving 12 F-16 fighter jets.
According to an Israeli official, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Mattis about two weeks ago, before the US official announced his resignation.
“For reasons we don’t fully understand, the Americans hardened their conditions and, apparently, we misread their position on the deal. Practically, the F-16 deal with Croatia is dead,” said the official.
He added that following the rejection from Mattis, Israel now has “to apologize to Croatia for the deal falling apart, and move on.”
Netanyahu contemplated contacting Lockheed Martin, which produces the F-16s, according to the official, but has likely ended up not doing that.
Israel has reportedly angered the Trump administration by adding advanced Israeli-made electronic systems to the F-16s as part of efforts to convince Croatia to buy the planes.
