Hegseth meets with Netanyahu in Israel ahead of elections and possible restart to Iran war

Washington — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth quietly visited Israel on Monday and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a senior U.S. military official who spoke to CBS News under condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. 

A second source involved in the matter in Israel confirmed Tuesday morning that Netanyahu met Hegseth.

The unannounced visit came just over a week before Netanyahu’s party faces elections. It also comes after President Trump floated resuming military operations against Iran following next month’s U.S. midterm elections.

Hegseth confirmed in an X post that he was in U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility on Monday, sharing a photo of himself addressing American service members who he said were “on a historic mission.” He did not specify his location or mention Israel.

The Pentagon declined to comment on the visit. CBS News has reached out to the Israeli government for comment.

Axios was first to report Hegseth’s visit.

Israeli and U.S. forces jointly launched strikes against Iran in late February, and the two allies worked closely with each other early in the war. The U.S. also struck three Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025 during a broader conflict between Israel and Iran.

Iran and the U.S. have largely refrained from striking each other in recent weeks, but Mr. Trump has said openly that he is still weighing whether to cut a deal with Iran’s leadership or “annihilate” the country — a decision he says could come after the November midterm elections.

Netanyahu, the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history, faces his own political uncertainty a week from Tuesday. The coalition led by his right-wing Likud party is seeking to remain in power, but it faces several more centrist challengers, including one party run by former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot.

Netanyahu told Israeli media last week he is not planning to launch renewed strikes against Iran before the Oct. 27 elections, saying, “it is not convenient for us.”

Mr. Trump endorsed Netanyahu on Sunday, calling him “a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The U.S. president has maintained a close relationship with Netanyahu, though he has put pressure on Israel at times. Over the spring and summer, the Trump administration urged Israel to ease up on striking Lebanon, home to Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

The administration has also encouraged Israel to crack down on settler violence in the West Bank and cut a longer-term deal with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Last month, Trump envoy Jared Kushner suggested the upcoming Israeli elections may have delayed progress in Gaza, saying at a conference in Kyiv: “They just have a crazy election, and that makes them a little irrational in certain regards.”