The Trump administration is blocking Croatia's purchase of twelve Israeli F-16 fighter jets, news website Axios reported on Thursday evening.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had raised the issue with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo earlier this week and was told that Secretary of Defense James Mattis was blocking the delivery of Israeli jets to Croatia, Barak Ravid, a reporter for Israel’s Channel 10 television wrote, citing Israeli diplomatic sources.

In March this year, the Croatian government had unanimously adopted the decision to purchase twelve F-16 C/D Barak fighter jets from Israel, manufactured by the US company Locheed Martin, for roughly 3.1 billion kuna ($477 million). The aircraft are between 25 and 30 years old, and are intended to replace the outdated Soviet-made MiG-21 aircraft currently used by the Croatian Air Force.

The shorlisted bids considered also included Sweden’s Gripen fighter jets, and another F-16 bid by the United States, which offered a batch of upgraded and more modern version of the planes, but at a price more than three times higher compared to Israel’s.

However, although the Israeli offer was selected in March, the contract on the delivery of jets was not signed to this day. Last month, local media started speculating that the sake was blocked by the US. As the original manufacturer which sold the aircraft to Israel, the US must sign off on the deal before Israel can pass them on to a third party.

According to diplomatic sources cited by Ravid, the Israeli-Croatian deal had angered Trump administration’s officials, who are furious that Israel’s old F-16s offered to Croatia were upgraded with modern Israeli-made electronic systems.

Asked to comment on the delay last month, Croatia’s Defence Minister Damir Krsticevic said that as far as Croatia is concerned the deal is final.

“We had waited for 15 years, this was a big decision. The key point here is that Croatia had decided to buy multi-purpose jets from Israel with US support and understanding. As far as we’re concerned, the deal is finalised;“ Krsticevic told state broadcaster HRT two weeks ago.

“What we’re waiting for now is the green light from the US government to the Israeli government for the delivery of jets,“ he added.

When asked whether this would happen by the year’s end, Krsticevic said that the “focus is on keeping the process transparent and legal.“

($1 = 6.5 kuna)

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