US War Secretary Pete Hegseth met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel, Axios reported, as Washington and Tel Aviv hold discussions over the possibility of resuming large-scale military operations against Iran.
Citing two sources familiar with the matter, Axios said Hegseth met with Netanyahu on Monday. No details were disclosed about the meeting or the issues discussed by the two sides.
The visit comes eight days before Israel’s elections, scheduled for October 27, amid US-Israeli discussions over the possibility of resuming major military operations against Iran.
The US War Department (Pentagon) and the Israeli Embassy declined to comment on the visit, according to Axios, while the Israeli prime minister’s office did not respond to a request for comment before the report was published.
Axios did not disclose when Hegseth arrived in Israel or how long his visit would last. It also did not report any outcome from the meeting.
News of Hegseth’s trip came a day after US President Donald Trump announced his support for Netanyahu in next week’s Israeli Knesset elections. The election will be the first held in Israel since the October 7, 2023 attacks.
Opinion polls indicate that Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition is expected to lose its governing majority, although the opposition may also face difficulties in forming a government.
US Vice President JD Vance declined to endorse Netanyahu in an interview earlier Monday, saying he does not interfere in Israeli elections.
Vance, who traveled to Budapest and endorsed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Hungary’s elections earlier this year, told the digital platform 2WAY: “I support American candidates, and that’s what I’m focused on — the midterm elections.”
“I’m not against endorsing him, but I’m not for endorsing him either. I’m not going to interfere in the Israeli elections,” Vance added.
Source: Axios
