Hegseth Visits Israel to Discuss Developments Concerning Iran and Lebanon
The U.S. Secretary of Defense is traveling to Israel from Turkey amid public disagreements between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is scheduled to visit Israel on Wednesday to discuss developments concerning Iran, Lebanon, and Turkey’s potential return to the F-35 fighter jet program. The visit comes amid public disagreements between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as recent developments in the Iranian file following Washington’s announcement that its memorandum of understanding with Tehran had come to an end after attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Israeli public broadcaster quoted an unnamed Israeli source as saying that “the U.S. Secretary of Defense will arrive in Israel on Wednesday for an official visit during which he will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.”
According to the same source, Pete Hegseth, who is accompanying President Trump during his current visit to Turkey, will discuss several issues with Israeli officials, foremost among them Iran and Lebanon, in addition to Turkey’s possible participation in the F-35 fighter jet program, particularly against the backdrop of the current escalation between Washington and Tehran.
The visit comes at a particularly delicate regional moment, coinciding with ongoing international efforts to contain the escalation and prevent the conflict from expanding, especially in light of the repercussions of the war involving Iran and the rapidly evolving situation in Lebanon. It also takes place amid increasingly public disagreements between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu over the management of regional conflicts, particularly regarding the course of the confrontation with Iran and the handling of the Lebanese situation.
The visit also precedes a new round of talks between Israel and Lebanon. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated that the discussions are scheduled to take place next week in Rome, Italy, while media reports indicated that the U.S. administration has invited Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to visit Washington to discuss the proposed framework agreement.
Pete Hegseth’s visit to Israel comes one day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed confidence on Tuesday that the NATO summit would produce a positive decision regarding Turkey’s acquisition of F-35 fighter jets during his meeting with President Trump in Ankara.
Erdoğan stated: “The F-35 issue is not new. We have discussed it previously with the United States. We were promised the delivery of five aircraft, and President Trump also gave us his commitment on this matter.”
The possibility of Turkey rejoining the F-35 program is of particular importance to Israel, which is closely monitoring developments in U.S.-Turkish military relations with growing concern amid rising tensions with Ankara. This coincides with escalating political and media disputes between Turkey and Israel in recent months, making Ankara’s future participation in the advanced U.S. fighter aircraft program one of the most sensitive issues in U.S.-Israeli consultations.
Turkey is hosting the NATO Summit on Tuesday and Wednesday for the second time in its history, following the Istanbul Summit held in 2004. The summit carries particular significance given the challenges currently facing the Alliance and the broader global security architecture.
