Overview
- U.S. defense official Pete Hegseth is making his first visit to Israel to hold high-level consultations, with reporting saying talks will include a reported $3 billion package for F-35 fighters.
- The mission is described as intended to calm Israeli concerns after President Trump publicly raised the option of supplying F-35s to Turkey during the NATO summit in Ankara.
- Reports say Hegseth plans meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz and that he will separate from the president’s NATO delegation for the trip.
- Details remain unconfirmed publicly and are based on CNN reporting and anonymous U.S. sources, with the White House and Pentagon declining to comment when asked.
- Analysts say the visit matters because Israel is currently the only Middle East operator of the F-35 and any U.S. sale to Turkey could shift regional air-power perceptions and political trust between allies.