Turkey’s F-35 Deal Angers Netanyahu as Hegseth Cancels Planned Visit to Israel
Israeli media reported that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has canceled a planned visit to Israel on Wednesday amid renewed tensions between Washington and Tehran.
The cancellation comes as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to escalate, while Israeli concerns are mounting over the possibility that Washington could approve the sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.
The publication quoted an Israeli official as saying that Hegseth had been scheduled to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the visit, although the official did not specify the agenda for the meeting.
Reports also indicated that Hegseth was expected to hold talks with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz during what would have been his first visit to Israel since assuming leadership of the U.S. Department of Defense.
The Israeli official did not provide any explanation for the cancellation, although it comes against the backdrop of rising tensions between the United States and Iran.
According to several U.S. media outlets, including CNN and Axios, part of the planned discussions was expected to focus on Israeli concerns regarding a potential U.S. agreement to sell F-35 fighter aircraft to Turkey.
Israeli media later confirmed that the visit had indeed been canceled, stating that the decision was directly linked to the escalating confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
Earlier in the day, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran was “over,” as American forces launched a new wave of strikes against targets inside Iran following attacks on three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, further increasing pressure on the fragile ceasefire arrangement.
In response, Iran threatened retaliation against the U.S. strikes and launched attacks targeting Kuwait and Bahrain, actions that drew widespread international condemnation.
Hegseth had been expected to travel to Israel from Turkey, where President Donald Trump stated during his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit that he would “certainly consider” the possibility of selling F-35 fighter jets to Ankara. He added that relations with Turkey had improved and that Ankara had been “more loyal than other countries” in many respects.
Although Trump’s remarks suggested that no final decision had yet been made, Reuters, citing two informed sources, reported that the U.S. president is leaning toward supporting the proposed deal.
For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s opposition to the move, stating that he had urged Trump not to proceed with the sale of the aircraft to Turkey.
Turkey was previously a partner in the international F-35 production and procurement program but was removed from the project in 2020 after purchasing the Russian S-400 air defense system.
Although legal obstacles still stand in the way of Ankara’s return to the program, the lifting of U.S. sanctions imposed on Turkey could pave the way for its reinstatement. Trump also confirmed that Pete Hegseth is among the officials overseeing this issue.
