US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has canceled his planned visit to Israel, according to reports. No official reason was given. The cancellation comes as the US considers a controversial sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey and amid heightened tensions with Iran.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's planned visit to Israel was canceled Wednesday, with reports now linking the cancellation to the Trump administration's consideration of an F-35 fighter jet sale to Turkey and the ongoing escalation with Iran, a development that follows a series of conflicting reports throughout the day.
At 02:20 Jerusalem, The Zioneer first reported that Hegseth would visit on Thursday, based on a senior US official. Within minutes, the timeline shifted: the visit was moved up to Wednesday, then Hegseth was reported en route, then arriving, and then abruptly canceled. The cancellation was initially attributed to rising Gulf tensions, and subsequently no official reason was given. The reports evolved from a single American official (Barak Ravid, N12) to multiple outlets including Channel 14, CNN, and Jewish Breaking News.
The Zioneer reported on Tuesday that Israeli security officials were pressing Prime Minister Netanyahu to urgently speak with President Trump over the potential F-35 sale to Turkey, warning it could erode Israel's qualitative military edge. Separately, the desk has covered the surge in tensions with Iran, including missile and drone attacks on Gulf states and US forces, as well as US considerations of redeploying assets from the Gulf to Israel.
No official explanation has been provided by the Pentagon or the White House for the cancellation. A rescheduled visit date has not been announced, and the exact linkage between the cancellation and the F-35 sale or Iran tensions has not been independently confirmed.
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