Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth made an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Ovda Air Base in southern Israel. The meeting occurred just eight days before Israel’s Knesset elections, as reported by The Jerusalem Post.
The visit coincided with discussions between the U.S. and Israel about potentially resuming major combat operations against Iran, according to Axios. Representatives from the United Arab Emirates were also present at the meeting, Army Radio reported.
Hegseth also met with U.S. troops stationed at the base, sharing images of the visit on social media. “The best of our country, on a historic mission. Godspeed,” he wrote in a post on X/Twitter, as noted by A News.
The meeting comes amid President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Netanyahu for re-election. Trump expressed his “Complete and Total Endorsement” of Netanyahu’s leadership, particularly in confronting Iran, warning that the U.S. might have to take on the burden itself if Israelis choose another leader.
Both the Pentagon and the Israeli Embassy declined to comment on the meeting, and the Prime Minister’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to The Jerusalem Post.