Hegseth discusses Iran with Netanyahu in unannounced visit to Israel, officials say

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth discussed Iran with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, three Israeli officials said, as tensions flare between the U.S. and Iran .

Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for the prime minister, later confirmed to Reuters that Netanyahu had met with Hegseth at the Uvda Air Force Base in Israel’s southern Negev desert region.

Netanyahu and Hegseth discussed “the threats in the region” and the U.S.-Israel partnership in dealing both offensively and defensively with those threats, he said in a brief phone call.

Hegseth also thanked Israel for hosting U.S. forces, which Spielman said numbered in the thousands, and discussed President Donald Trump’s support for the prime minister.

“There’s a deep personal relationship here that was at the core of this discussion,” Spielman said.

On Sunday, Trump endorsed Netanyahu in next week’s parliamentary election in Israel, the country’s first ballot since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel.

The Pentagon has not publicly commented on Hegseth’s visit.

Hegseth earlier posted on X that he had visited U.S. service members in the Central Command area of responsibility, which covers the Middle East, northeast Africa and parts of Asia.

He did not specify where he had met with the forces.

Hegseth’s visit comes as tensions flare between the U.S. and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz and as Yemen’s Iran-allied Houthis intensify their attacks on Saudi Arabia.

U.S. and Israeli forces launched joint strikes against Iran in late February, setting off the wider Middle East war. Netanyahu told Israeli media this month that he’s not seeking to attack Iran before the Oct. 27 Israeli election. Trump has said he will not attack Iran before U.S. midterm elections in November.

Israel has hosted additional U.S. forces, including military aircraft, since at least February as part of the war with Iran.

三位以色列官员表示，美国国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯周一在对以色列进行突访期间，与以色列总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡讨论了伊朗问题。目前，美伊之间的紧张局势正在加剧。

总理发言人多伦·斯皮尔曼后来向路透社证实，内塔尼亚胡在以色列南部内盖夫沙漠地区的乌夫达空军基地会见了赫格塞斯。

内塔尼亚胡和赫格塞斯在一次简短的电话中讨论了“该地区的威胁”以及美以伙伴关系在进攻和防御方面如何应对这些威胁，他说。

赫格塞斯还感谢以色列接待美军，斯皮尔曼称美军人数达数千人，并讨论了唐纳德·特朗普总统对以色列总理的支持。

“这其中存在着深厚的私人关系，这也是本次讨论的核心，”斯皮尔曼说。

周日，特朗普公开支持内塔尼亚胡参加下周以色列议会选举。这是自 2023 年 10 月 7 日哈马斯袭击以色列南部以来，以色列举行的首次选举。

五角大楼尚未就赫格塞斯的访问发表公开评论。

Hegseth 早前在 X 上发帖称，他已探望了驻扎在中央司令部责任区（涵盖中东、东北非和亚洲部分地区）的美国军人。

他没有具体说明是在哪里与部队会合的。

赫格塞斯此次访问正值美国和伊朗因霍尔木兹海峡局势而关系紧张之际，也门与伊朗结盟的胡塞武装也加大了对沙特阿拉伯的袭击力度。

2月下旬，美国和以色列军队对伊朗发动联合打击，引发了范围更广的中东战争。内塔尼亚胡本月告诉以色列媒体，他不打算在10月27日以色列大选前对伊朗发动攻击。特朗普也曾表示，他不会在11月美国中期选举前对伊朗发动攻击。

自今年2月以来，作为对伊战争的一部分，以色列已向美军增派了包括军用飞机在内的部队。