Hegseth meets Netanyahu on unannounced Israel visit amid US-Iran tensions

Jerusalem, Israel. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday during a previously unannounced trip to Israel, according to a person familiar with the matter. The meeting took place against a backdrop of heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Meeting details undisclosed

Axios was first to report the meeting. The person familiar with it provided no details about the subjects discussed.

The Pentagon offered no comment, while Netanyahu’s office had not immediately answered a request for a response.

According to Israel’s Army Radio, the talks were held at an Israeli air force base in the country’s southern desert. Hegseth separately wrote on social media that he had visited American military personnel within Central Command’s area of responsibility, which encompasses northeast Africa, the Middle East and some parts of Asia.

Election backdrop

The visit followed US President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Netanyahu a day earlier, ahead of Israel’s parliamentary election next week. That vote will be Israel’s first since Hamas attacked the country’s south on October 7, 2023.

Speaking to Israeli media this month, Netanyahu said he was not seeking to launch an attack on Iran ahead of Israel’s October 27 election. Trump has also said he would not strike Iran ahead of November’s US midterm elections.

Regional conflict

The trip coincided with escalating tensions in the wider Middle East conflict, including friction between the United States and Iran concerning the Strait of Hormuz. Yemen’s Houthis, who are allied with Iran, have also stepped up attacks against Saudi Arabia.

Joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February triggered the broader regional war.