On June 16, an Israeli Air Force drone destroyed two Iranian F-14 fighter jets at an airbase, just minutes before the U.S.-built planes were about to take flight. The aircraft, originally manufactured in the United States, were once sold to Iran when it was ruled by the pro-Western Shah, before the 1979 Islamic Revolution ushered in a radical regime that remains hostile to the United States and Israel.
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: America sold the jets to the Imperial State of Iran, which existed before the Islamic extremists took power. This fact should serve as a stark warning for today’s policymakers.
It is time for Congress to act to prevent future sales of advanced weapons systems to Middle Eastern authoritarian regimes.
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 happens when one of these rulers is overthrown? Consider the case of Iran: a U.S. ally turned hostile enemy within a matter of months. The American-made fighter jets we once provided were never returned – they were instead absorbed into the arsenal of the Islamic Republic.
Today, countries such as the UAE and Bahrain regularly seek U.S.-made weapons. But what will happen if the dictatorial rulers of these nations 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.
This lesson must be remembered the next time a sheikdom lobbies Washington, D.C., for advanced U.S. weapons systems.
Selling high-tech weapons to authoritarian regimes in the Middle East is not just a diplomatic risk; it is a national security risk. These regimes lack the checks and balances of democracies. Their political systems are volatile, prone to internal coups, and susceptible to influence from rival powers like Russia or China.
Critics may argue that if we don’t sell weapons to these regimes, someone else will. That may or may not be true, but it doesn’t justify transferring America’s best in class military technology to governments that could become our bitter enemies. We must ask whether it serves the interests of the American people and our allies to arm regimes that do not share our democratic values.
America’s foreign policy must prioritize long-term strategic security over short-term economic or diplomatic gains. That means forging deeper relationships with democratic allies like Israel and re-evaluating our willingness to equip authoritarian governments with cutting-edge weapons.
Congress has the responsibility – and the opportunity – to act now. There should be strict limitations on the export of the most sensitive defense systems to regimes that do not have democratic safeguards. This is not only a matter of prudence; it’s a matter of protecting our nation’s technological edge and ensuring that these tools are never turned against us or against our allies.
Let the June 16 destruction of those F-14s in Iran be a warning. It is a vivid reminder of how quickly friends can become foes, and how yesterday’s ally can become today’s threat. The U.S. must stop repeating the same mistakes.
We must not wait until F-35s – or even more advanced systems – fall into the wrong hands because we failed to learn from history. If we continue to arm unstable regimes, the price may be one we cannot afford to pay.
