Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Wednesday morning with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon.
An extended honor cordon awaited Netanyahu upon his arrival.
During the opening statement before the bilateral meeting, Netanyahu commented on a picture of a stealth aircraft, telling Hegseth, “We have absolute gratitude and admiration for the American military, for the president. It’s amazing. You have the gratitude of the citizens of Israel and the State of Israel. Thank you.”
Hegseth responded, “This is the talent of the U.S. military fighters in war. It was amazing.”
Three nuclear sites were targeted and hit in the military operations against the Islamic Republic: Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
Praising the outgoing commander of U.S. Central Command, which has purview over the Middle East, Hegseth said of Gen. Erik Kurilla, who was present at the bilateral, that the latter acted quietly and effectively.
“After 60 days of negotiations, Trump was clear,” said Hegseth, adding that the president gave the Iranians the option to negotiate first.
Referring to Israel’s airstrikes in mid-June, which preceded the U.S. bombing mission by a week, the U.S. defense minister said, “How you went about the nuclear capability, the pilots who accompanied, the refueling, it was an honor to take part. We sent a message to the world, not just to Iran. The B-2 pilots sent a message to the world.”
Netanyahu stated that the strikes sent a global message.
“The whole world noticed. All of Iran noticed,” he said. “The entire Middle East noticed the strength of our alliance. It was like a roar of two lions. We have admiration and appreciation for all that you have done.”
Hegseth thanked Netanyahu for being an ally, while the prime minister replied: “First comes strength, then peace. I hope we will see the fruits soon.”
