Trump Announces Plan to Phase Out $4 Billion Annual Military Aid to Israel Starting 2027

President Donald Trump declared Tuesday that the United States will cease providing Israel with approximately $4 billion per year in military assistance beginning in 2027. The announcement came as voters headed to the polls for the midterm elections.

In a phone interview with Fox News, Trump stated that Israel no longer requires the funding, though he emphasized that Washington would continue selling arms to its closest Middle Eastern ally. He added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had proposed the idea and that the two had discussed it for several years.

“Look, we give them $4 billion of things and money, and they don’t need it,” Trump said.

The president also linked the decision to domestic politics, arguing that the aid package had become an easy target for critics such as Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan and vocal opponent of Israeli policy.

Unlike many European nations, the United States imposes no electoral silence period restricting campaign activity or political commentary on Election Day. Beyond state-level rules governing conduct near polling stations, politicians—including the president—are free to grant interviews while voting is underway.

Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to the remarks. Gadi Eisenkot, a primary rival to the prime minister, warned that it was dangerous for Israel’s defense establishment to learn of such a shift through the media and called for Netanyahu’s replacement.

The current ten-year, $38 billion memorandum of understanding was signed in 2016 under the Obama administration and expires in 2028.

The announcement coincided with escalating tensions in the Gulf. A U.S. official confirmed that American forces conducted defensive strikes against Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz that were employing surface-to-air missiles. Iranian state television reported explosions on Qeshm Island.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator, said Tehran had delivered a “firm and rational response” to Washington and that the onus was now on the United States to avert renewed conflict. Addressing parliament, Qalibaf stated Iran remained ready “with its finger on the trigger,” though he did not specify the nature of the response.

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