Netanyahu Wants U.S. Military Aid Cut to Zero; Oil Rises

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking in a U.S. television interview on Sunday, called for U.S. military assistance to Israel to be reduced to zero as the conflict with Iran continues. The interview was his first U.S. broadcast appearance since hostilities expanded.

Netanyahu said Israel receives roughly $3.8 billion a year in U.S. military aid and noted a broader U.S. commitment of about $38 billion covering 2018 through 2028. He did not present a timetable or describe specific steps for ending that support.

He cited continuing threats from enriched uranium programs, regional proxy forces and ballistic missile development as reasons to reassess the financial relationship with Washington. Netanyahu told the interviewer he wanted to “draw down to zero the American financial support” and called the moment “absolutely the right time” to reset the arrangement.

The remarks coincided with renewed confrontation in the Persian Gulf, where suspected Iranian drone strikes tested a fragile cease-fire the same day. Disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for global oil shipments, have affected energy markets since the outbreak of fighting.

Brent crude rose above $104 a barrel during trading around the time of the interview. U.S. crude and other energy benchmarks, including natural gas and gasoline, also posted gains.

A March survey by a U.S. research organization found a majority of U.S. adults held unfavorable views of Israel and expressed doubts about Netanyahu’s judgment on international affairs. Those poll results add a political context to any proposal to change long-standing U.S. military support.

U.S. officials are working to reopen transit through the Strait of Hormuz and stabilize energy flows, and diplomatic efforts on that front are ongoing. Netanyahu did not explain how Israel would replace U.S. aid if it were reduced or provide a deadline for any changes.

The prime minister described the security situation in stark terms, saying the war “is not in any way over yet” and emphasizing unresolved nuclear and missile-related threats. He acknowledged limits to foresight about events in the Gulf as fighting affected commercial shipping lanes.