Hegseth meets Netanyahu in unannounced visit to Israel, source says

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, a person familiar with the matter said, as tensions flare between the US and Iran.

The person did not say what the two men discussed during the meeting, first reported by Axios. The Pentagon declined to comment. The Israeli prime minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hegseth said in a social media post that he had visited U.S. service members in the Central Command area of responsibility, which covers the Middle East, northeast Africa, and parts of Asia.

Israel's Army Radio reported his meeting with Netanyahu took place at an air force base in Israel's southern desert.

Hegseth's visit comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East war as tensions flare between the U.S. and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz and as Yemen's Iran-allied Houthis intensify their attacks on Saudi Arabia.

It also came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed Netanyahu in next week's parliamentary election in Israel, the country's first ballot since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel. Netanyahu proudly showcased Trump’s support by releasing a recording on Monday of a telephone call in which the U.S. President predicted a "resounding victory" for him in the general election on Oct. 27.

U.S. and Israeli forces launched joint strikes against Iran in late February, setting off the wider Middle East war. Netanyahu told Israeli media this month that he's not seeking to attack Iran before the Oct. 27 Israeli election. Trump has said he will not attack Iran before U.S. midterm elections in November.