Netanyahu Calls for Israel to Reduce Dependence on US Weapons Following US-Iran Peace Deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu desires his country to increase its military autonomy. This is intended to allow Israel to reduce its dependence on support from the United States (US).

“I greatly appreciate the support we have received from our American friends, but we need to break free from dependence and build our own independent weaponry network,” Netanyahu told reserve officers during a training course in the occupied West Bank, as reported by Al Arabiya.

Netanyahu made these statements to officers on 18 June 2026. However, his office only released the statement on Tuesday (23/6/2026).

“Today I say: We need our own independent weaponry network. We must produce our own weapons,” Netanyahu stated.

At the time Netanyahu expressed his desire for Israel to become more self-sufficient in the military sector, the US and Iran had just agreed to end their war.

A number of ministers and officials within Netanyahu’s cabinet have voiced opposition to Israel being involved in a US-Iran agreement, particularly regarding the cessation of attacks on Lebanon.

According to the Council on Foreign Relations, since its establishment in 1948, Israel has received economic and military aid from the US valued at more than 300 billion dollars. This amount is significantly higher than any other country has received since 1946.