Iran-Israel War Shows the U.S. Must Never Sell Jet Fighters to Gulf Dictators,

NEW YORK – A leading pro-Israel organization has pointed out that, in light of Israeli military reports stating that American-made F-14 fighter jets were destroyed in Iran on June 16 by the IDF, it is time for Congress to act to prevent future sales of advanced weapons systems to Middle Eastern authoritarian regimes Americans For A Safe Israel (AFSI) has stated.

“Putting F-35s in the hands of Arab dictators is extremely risky. America’s most sophisticated fighter jets should not be given to authoritarian rulers. Undemocratic regimes are inherently unstable, and that is especially true in the Middle East. What will happen if the dictatorial rulers of nations such as the UAE and Bahrain—countries that regularly seek U.S.-made weapons—are replaced by forces hostile to America and Israel? Will the new rulers return those F-35s to the United States? Somehow, I doubt it,” stated Moshe Phillips, Chairman of AFSI.

On June 16, an Israeli Air Force drone destroyed two Iranian F-14 fighter jets at an airbase mere minutes before the U.S.-built planes were about to take flight.

Many Americans who saw the news may be wondering how U.S. combat jets ended up in Iran in the first place. The answer is simple, explains AFSI: America sold the jets to Iran. However, the U.S. did not sell these fighter jets to the current Islamic Republic of Iran, but to the Imperial State of Iran, which existed before the Islamic extremists took power in Tehran in the 1979 revolution.

“This lesson must be remembered the next time a sheikdom lobbies Washington, D.C., for advanced U.S. weapons systems,” stated AFSI’s Moshe Phillips.

Established in 1970, Americans For A Safe Israel (AFSI) is one of the oldest and most influential pro-Israel organizations in the United States. Its advocacy and education campaigns serve as a potent counterweight to the rising tide of Arab propaganda. AFSI is not affiliated with any political party in the United States or Israel.