Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blocked the transfer of Iron Dome air defense systems to Ukraine in 2023, which the United States had planned to use to protect civilians from Russian strikes, The Washington Post reports.

According to the newspaper, the initiative to transfer Iron Dome batteries to Ukraine was supported by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who sought to secure their delivery to strengthen the protection of Ukrainian cities.

However, the proposal met resistance from the Israeli government. Netanyahu refused to approve the transfer of the systems, citing the terms of the joint production agreement for the complex, under which Israel retains the right to make the final decision on matters related to its use.

At the same time, as the newspaper notes, the systems themselves were stationed in the United States and purchased with funds from American taxpayers.

Senator Chris Van Hollen said that such restrictions could pose a threat to American sovereignty and national security, since Washington cannot freely dispose of some of the weapons paid for from the U.S. budget.

Meanwhile, new initiatives to expand cooperation with Israel in the field of defense technologies are being discussed in the U.S. Congress. Critics fear that such agreements could give Israel additional leverage over the use of American weapons.

Iron Dome is an Israeli missile defense system designed primarily to intercept short-range rockets. The system was developed by the Israeli company Rafael with significant financial support from the United States.