Hegseth Meets Netanyahu in Unannounced Israel Visit Amid Iran War Talks, Eight Days Before Elections

TEL AVIV: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth held an unannounced meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel on Monday, just eight days before Israel's parliamentary elections and amid reported discussions between Washington and Tel Aviv about possibly resuming major combat operations against Iran.

According to a report by Axios, cited by Haaretz and other outlets, two sources with knowledge of the matter confirmed the surprise meeting. The leaders met at Ovda Air Base in southern Israel, where the United States deploys refuelling aircraft and fighter jets, and Hegseth also met American troops stationed at the base. Emirati figures were present at the meeting, according to Walla.

Main News Report

Hegseth's visit was kept secret until Axios broke the story late on Monday, the Jerusalem Post reported. The Pentagon and Israel's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and Netanyahu's office offered no immediate response. Reuters said it could not immediately confirm the meeting.

Hours after the report emerged, Hegseth appeared to confirm a regional visit without naming his location. Writing on X, he said it had been "an honor to visit our warfighters in @CENTCOM today. The best of our country, on a historic mission. Godspeed." US Central Command covers the Middle East, northeast Africa and parts of Asia.

Background Context

The visit comes at one of the most sensitive moments in the US-Israel-Iran war, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February. Axios reported that the meeting unfolded against the backdrop of active discussions between Washington and Tel Aviv about the possibility of resuming the war against Iran.

• The June truce between Tehran and Washington collapsed amid renewed hostilities, and the Strait of Hormuz remains the central flashpoint of the confrontation.
• US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States continues to hit Iran hard "economically and militarily," while praising Russian President Vladimir Putin for what he called a "very positive" stance in the conflict.
• Iran's IRGC warned on Monday that seven major undersea internet cables beneath the Strait of Hormuz could become "new targets" if the United States renews strikes.
• Chinese Premier Li Qiang condemned the US-Israeli attacks on Iran as "blatant aggression" during a meeting with Iran's first vice president in Dushanbe on Monday.

Reactions and Statements

The surprise visit landed one day after Trump threw his full weight behind Netanyahu ahead of Israel's October 27 parliamentary elections — the country's first vote since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023. In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump declared his "Complete and Total Endorsement" of the Israeli leader, praising his leadership and partnership with Washington in confronting Iran and warning that the United States could be forced to take on the burden itself if Israeli voters chose another leader, TRT World reported.

US Vice President JD Vance pointedly declined to follow suit. Asked in a 2WAY interview on Monday whether he endorsed Netanyahu, Vance said: "I endorse American candidates, and that's where I'm focused on is the midterms." He added: "I'm not getting involved in Israeli elections."

Opinion polls suggest Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition is projected to lose its governing majority, although the opposition may also struggle to form a government, according to the Times of India.

Why This News Matters

A secret wartime visit by the US defence chief to Israel, landing eight days before an election and with new Iran strikes reportedly on the table, carries weight for Pakistan and the wider region. Any resumption of major combat operations against Iran would immediately threaten the already fragile situation in the Strait of Hormuz, where nearly all of Pakistan's imported crude passes, and could send oil prices sharply higher for Pakistan's economy. The presence of Emirati figures at the Ovda meeting also points to the growing role of Gulf states in shaping what comes next.

Future Developments

Key questions remain unanswered. Neither the Pentagon nor the Israeli prime minister's office has confirmed or detailed the meeting, and it is unclear whether Hegseth will make further regional stops. Watch for official Pentagon readouts in the coming days, any statement from Netanyahu's office, and movement in the CENTCOM area of responsibility. With Israel's elections on October 27 and the US-Israel-Iran war showing no sign of settling, the coming week could bring further high-level contacts — or new military developments.

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