At last week’s Republican presidential debate, Vivek Ramaswamy argued for reducing U.S. miliary aid for the Jewish state, eliciting sharp criticism from Nikki Haley. Ramaswamy appears to see American support for the IDF as a sort of favor, when in fact it is a partnership that yields direct benefits to Washington. Yoram Ettinger explains:

In June 2016, Israel became the first country to use the highly computerized F-35, [an American-made combat aircraft], operationally. Israel soon became successful in solving initial glitches, which had caused concern among prospective buyers.

The scores of Israeli solutions to the F-35 glitches—in the area of data gathering and processing, electronic warfare, and firing-control accuracy—have been shared with the U.S. manufacturer and the U.S. air force, sustaining the F-35’s superiority over its global competition; sparing [its manufacturer] Lockheed-Martin mega-billions of dollars in research and development; enhancing the manufacturer’s competitive edge; increasing exports by a few additional billions; and expanding the employment base of Lockheed-Martin and its multitude of subcontractors.

Israel is [also] the most reliable, battle-tested, and cost-effective ally in the region, and a potential beachhead of the U.S. in the face of mutual threats. As stated by some U.S. officials and analysts, Israel is the largest U.S. aircraft carrier, and does not require a single member of the U.S. military on board.

Israel shares with the U.S. more intelligence than many countries, and Israel’s battle experience has been shared with the U.S., saving American lives by serving as a basis for the formulation of U.S. air-force and ground-force battle tactics, enhancing military medicine, and training U.S. soldiers in urban warfare. . . . The mutually beneficial relationship between the U.S. and Israel is a two-way-street.

For more than a year, the Iran-backed Houthis have been launching drones and missiles at ships traversing the Red Sea, as well as at Israeli territory, in support of Hamas. This development has drastically curtailed shipping through the Suez Canal and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, driving up trade prices. This week, the Trump administration began an extensive bombing campaign against the Houthis in an effort to reopen that crucial waterway. Burcu Ozcelik highlights another benefit of this action:

The administration has a broader geopolitical agenda—one that includes countering China’s economic leverage, particularly Beijing’s reliance on Iranian oil. By targeting the Houthis, the United States is not only safeguarding vital shipping lanes but also exerting pressure on the Iran-China energy nexus, a key component of Beijing’s strategic posture in the region.

China was the primary destination for up to 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports in 2024, underscoring the deepening economic ties between Beijing and Tehran despite U.S. sanctions. By helping fill Iranian coffers, China aids Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in financing proxies like the Houthis. Since October of last year, notable U.S. Treasury announcements have revealed covert links between China and the Houthis.

Striking the Houthis could trigger broader repercussions—not least by disrupting the flow of Iranian oil to China. While difficult to confirm, it is conceivable and has been reported, that the Houthis may have received financial or other forms of compensation from China (such as Chinese-made military components) in exchange for allowing freedom of passage for China-affiliated vessels in the Red Sea.