Hegseth Discusses Iran With Netanyahu During Unannounced Visit to Israel, Officials Say
Key Takeaways
- •US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled unannounced to Israel on Monday and discussed Iran with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to three Israeli officials.
- •No details about the meeting were provided, as the Pentagon declined to comment and the Israeli prime minister's office did not immediately respond, with Axios first reporting the talks.
- •The trip came a day after President Donald Trump endorsed Netanyahu ahead of Israel's October 27 parliamentary election, the country's first ballot since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
- •Regional tensions center on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil shipments, while Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen intensify their attacks on Saudi Arabia.
- •Netanyahu has said he is not seeking to attack Iran before the October 27 Israeli election, while Trump has said he will not strike before the November US midterm elections.
JERUSALEM — US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held talks on Iran with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, three Israeli officials said, as tensions flare between the United States and Iran.
The officials did not provide further details about the meeting, which was first reported by Axios. The Pentagon declined to comment, and the Israeli prime minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a post on social media, Mr. Hegseth said he had visited US service members in the Central Command area of responsibility, which covers the Middle East, northeast Africa and parts of Asia. Israel's Army Radio reported that his meeting with Mr. Netanyahu took place at an air force base in Israel's southern desert.
The visit comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East war, with friction between the US and Iran centered on the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf that serves as a critical artery for global oil shipments — and as Yemen's Iran-allied Houthis intensify their attacks on Saudi Arabia. The strait's chokepoint role in global energy flows has historically made it a recurring flash point in confrontations involving Iran.
The trip also came a day after US President Donald Trump endorsed Mr. Netanyahu in Israel's parliamentary election, scheduled for next week. It will be the country's first ballot since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel.
US and Israeli forces launched joint strikes against Iran in late February, setting off the wider Middle East war. Mr. Netanyahu told Israeli media this month that he is not seeking to attack Iran before the October 27 Israeli election. Mr. Trump has said he will not attack Iran before the US midterm elections in November. With both leaders having publicly tied their decisions to those election dates, the October 27 Israeli vote and the November US midterms now stand as the fixed markers on the region's calendar as the confrontation continues.
— Reuters
