As reported by The Times of Israel on the 8th, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called off a planned visit to Israel, originally scheduled for the same day. Netanyahu explained that Hegseth was summoned back to Washington during a NATO summit.
However, according to The Times of Israel, Hegseth was later seen attending NATO summit events in Turkey alongside President Donald Trump, and did not return to Washington early as Netanyahu had claimed.
Hegseth in a file photo
The cancellation comes as US-Iran tensions escalate once again, with Israel closely watching potential US plans to resume F-35 stealth fighter sales to Turkey. Netanyahu did not provide specific reasons for the cancellation, but said he doesn’t see it as bad news. The Times of Israel suggests Israel might welcome this development as it remains wary of US-Iran engagement and hopes to further weaken Iran’s regime, particularly its military capabilities. Reuters, citing sources, reported that Hegseth had originally planned to meet with Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz to discuss Iran and the possible resumption of F-35 sales to Turkey.
In a recent US media interview, Netanyahu expressed opposition to selling F-35s to Turkey, stating he had clearly conveyed this stance to Trump. He argued the move would “disrupt the balance of power in the Middle East” since Turkey has “aggressive ambitions.”
On the 7th, Trump announced he would lift sanctions imposed on Turkey for purchasing Russia’s S-400 missile defense system in 2019, and expressed willingness to sell F-35s to the NATO ally. Reuters notes this plan is expected to face strong opposition from both the US and Israel. Turkey, a NATO member, has long criticized Israeli military operations in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, and has repeatedly accused Israel of trying to undermine the US-Iran ceasefire agreement brokered by Pakistan.