WASHINGTON – Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel this week, an encounter that comes as the Trump administrations weighs new strikes against Iran after November’s midterm elections.
Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz met with Hegseth on Oct. 19, a day after President Donald Trump asked Israeli voters to support Netanyahu in the country’s election later this month.
The United States and Israel jointly launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, starting a war that upended the global economy and sent oil prices soaring. The war, which has lasted for nearly eight months, is now a major liability for the Republican candidates ahead of the midterms.
Trump initially
pledged to end the conflict in a matter of weeks, but U.S. officials have grown frustrated as the war dragged on and Iranian officials have refused the White House’s terms for ending the conflict.
Hegseth confirmed his visit to Israel while speaking with reporters on Oct. 20, but declined to discuss his talks with Netanyahu. "The nature of our conversation is not something I would talk about, but they’ve been good partners, and I appreciate that," Hegseth said.
Hegseth’s visit to Israel and meeting with Netanyahu was first reported by Axios.
Netanyahu is hoping that Trump’s endorsement and his meeting with Hegseth will provide him with a much-needed boost ahead of the election in Israel on Oct. 27. The longest-serving prime minister of Israel is fighting for his political life as he attempts to overcome domestic backlash over the Israeli security failures that preceded Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
Trump has repeatedly suggested he might resume strikes against Iran after the midterms. At the United Nations General Assembly, Trump threatened to "annihilate" Iran if it does not capitulate to the United States.
The U.S. president continued to muse about whether he would escalate the war. "As you know, we’re doing very well with Iran," Trump told reporters on Oct. 20. "We just have to make a final decision of which way do we want to win, do we want to win the nice way or the not nice way."
Hegseth has faced intense bipartisan criticism over the ongoing Iran war, including an impeachment effort from Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, sent lawmakers home a day early to avoid a vote on the impeachment resolution, but Massie has vowed to resume his campaign to remove Hegseth from office when Congress returns next month.
During his visit to the Middle East, Hegseth also visited U.S. Central Command and met with American troops who are supporting the war effort.
"I got to see some of our warfighters," he said on Oct. 20. "They’re preparing and ready to ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pete Hegseth met with Netanyahu during unannounced trip to Israel
