U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to arrive in Israel on Wednesday for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, CNN reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. Hegseth is currently in Ankara with President Donald Trump for the NATO summit.
The visit comes amid U.S. strikes on Iranian targets and Israeli concerns over the potential U.S. sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.
The trip was planned before the strikes were ordered, and it remains unclear whether recent developments will affect the visit. It would mark Hegseth’s first trip to Israel since he took office in January 2025.
The U.S. strikes followed overnight Iranian attacks on three commercial tankers in Omani waters near the Strait of Hormuz. Hours earlier, Washington announced it was canceling sanctions relief on Iranian oil sales, saying the move was intended to punish Tehran and restore economic pressure.
