U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Axios reported Monday night, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
The visit comes just eight days before Israel's Knesset elections, against the backdrop of discussions between the United States and Israel over the possibility of resuming large-scale military operations against Iran.
The unusually lengthy meeting took place at Ovda Air Base in southern Israel, with Netanyahu making the unusual decision to travel there by private plane rather than helicopter. The prime minister's motorcade first traveled to Ben Gurion Airport, where he boarded a flight to the base. The meeting also explains why Netanyahu did not attend the soccer match between Beitar Jerusalem and Maccabi Tel Aviv, as originally planned.
American refueling aircraft and fighter jets are stationed at Ovda Air Base, where Hegseth also met with U.S. troops. According to the report, the Pentagon and the Israeli Embassy in Washington declined to comment on the visit, while the Prime Minister's Office did not immediately respond. No details of the meeting between Hegseth and Netanyahu have been released, and it remains unclear whether the possibility of another strike on Iran was discussed.
Hegseth later referred to his visit to the Middle East in a post on X, saying he had met with American troops in the area of responsibility of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which covers the Middle East, northeastern Africa and parts of Asia. However, he did not publicly confirm that he had visited Israel or met Netanyahu.
The visit comes amid reports in recent days that the United States and Israel are preparing for the possibility of renewed military operations against the Islamic Republic. Last week, Axios reported that Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump had spoken several times about the possibility of launching another joint military operation against Iran, even before Israel's October 27 elections and the U.S. midterm elections scheduled for a week later.
According to that report, Netanyahu expressed concern to Trump over Israeli intelligence indicating that Iran was taking steps to rebuild its nuclear program. The two discussed a possible joint operation targeting nuclear facilities and military sites in Iran, but Trump has yet to commit to authorizing such an operation. A U.S. official said the president encouraged Netanyahu to prepare but stressed that this did not constitute a commitment to carry out an attack.
The report also said Hegseth and senior officials at U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) were among the strongest supporters of renewed strikes on Iran. Most of Trump's advisers, however, currently favor continuing economic and diplomatic pressure on Tehran rather than launching another round of large-scale attacks.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, the Pentagon reportedly ordered CENTCOM to complete preparations for the possible resumption of large-scale military operations against Iran. The directive did not specify a date for an attack, and administration officials stressed that the president had not made a final decision.
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