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

Updated on: October 20, 2026 / 12:50 AM EDT / CBS News

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…

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