U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday and the pair discussed Iran, three Israeli officials told Reuters, in a trip neither government has officially acknowledged.
Axios first reported the visit, citing two sources, and CBS News confirmed the meeting through a senior U.S. military official and a second source in Israel. Hegseth himself acknowledged only the troops.
He posted on X that it was “an honor to visit our warfighters” in U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, calling them “the best of our country, on a historic mission.”
His post named neither Israel nor Netanyahu, and the Pentagon declined to comment to multiple news organizations.
The Pentagon referred Military.com to Hegseth’s X post and provided no further comment.
Military.com asked CENTCOM whether there have been any changes to U.S. force posture or mission responsibilities in the region. CENTCOM replied by saying force posture is not publicly disclosed for “operational security reasons.”
Military.com also reached out to Vice President JD Vance’s office, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Meeting at Ovda Air Base
The meeting reportedly took place at Ovda Air Base in southern Israel. This is where the U.S. refueling planes and fighter jets are deployed.
Israel’s Army Radio separately placed it at an air force base in the country’s southern desert.
Earlier this month, the Pentagon ordered CENTCOM to complete preparations for possible renewed large-scale operations against Iran, Axios reported, with no decision made and no date set.
Hegseth and senior CENTCOM officials are among the strongest advocates of resuming strikes, according to that reporting. Most of the president’s advisers reportedly favor economic and diplomatic pressure.
The White House has denied that President Donald Trump and Netanyahu discussed restarting the war, echoing Trump’s previous statements making clear the U.S. would not attack Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
A U.S. official told Axios earlier this month that Trump encouraged Netanyahu to prepare but that the encouragement was “not a commitment to carry out an attack.”
Trump, Vance Split Eight Days Before Israel Votes
Hegseth’s visit came eight days before Israel’s Oct. 27 election, the country’s first since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by terrorist group Hamas.
Trump posted a “Complete and Total Endorsement” of Netanyahu a day before the trip. However, Vance declined to weigh in, saying he was focused on American candidates rather than Israeli politics.
Vance has also shown a cooler edge toward Israeli messaging, criticizing attempts by elements of the Israeli government to influence American public opinion about the war with Iran earlier this year, according to the Associated Press. Vance also is predicted to vie for the 2028 Republican Party presidential nomination.
Israel Defense Forces (via Wikimedia Commons)
Netanyahu has publicly played down the chances of military action before the vote, telling Israeli media this month that he is not planning renewed strikes on Iran because “it is not convenient for us.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also took part in the meeting, CNN reported, citing an Israeli source and a second person familiar with the matter.
Iran and the United States have largely avoided striking each other in recent months. However, tensions have been building as the Strait of Hormuz remains a key issue. Also, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have been intensifying.
Neither government has released an account of what, if anything, Hegseth and Netanyahu decided. The Israeli officials who confirmed that Iran was discussed offered no further details.
UPDATED 1:36 p.m. ET, 10/20/26: This story was updated with comment from CENTCOM.
