US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived in Israel this morning for his first visit since taking office, meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. The visit is aimed at addressing Israeli concerns regarding potential US military sales to Turkey, according to Israeli media reports.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth landed in Israel on Wednesday morning, marking his first visit since taking office. He is meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, with the agenda focused on addressing Israeli concerns over potential US arms sales to Turkey, according to Israeli media reports. The visit follows a series of schedule changes: initially reported for Wednesday by CNN, then corrected to Thursday by a senior US official, before being moved back to Wednesday and confirmed early this morning.
As The Zioneer reported at 02:41 Jerusalem, Hegseth arrived in Israel from Ankara, where he participated in a meeting between President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The visit was first disclosed by CNN at 02:20 Jerusalem, with a senior US official subsequently telling Barak Ravid (N12) that the visit would take place on Thursday, July 9. Later reports from Channel 14 confirmed Hegseth was en route to Israel, and by 02:20 Jerusalem, the visit was confirmed as having taken place. The Zioneer also reported earlier this week that Defense Minister Katz spoke with Hegseth by phone on Monday.
The visit comes amid ongoing US-Israeli coordination on Iran and discussions over the potential supply of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, as The Zioneer has reported. Israeli officials have expressed unease about advanced US weapons systems reaching Ankara, given Turkey's recent rhetoric and ties with Iran. Hegseth's visit also follows his recent comments about a US-Iran deal, which The Zioneer reported on June 14.
No details on the outcomes of the talks have been released yet; the meetings are ongoing.
6 developments
- StrongDefense Minister Katz speaks with US counterpart Hegseth
- StrongUS Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tours naval base at Guantanamo Bay
- DevelopingIsraeli officials to visit Washington amid difficulties in Iran talks — i24
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Source and signal
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