US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is organizing his first official visit to Israel this Wednesday, according to three individuals with knowledge of the itinerary who were quoted by CNN.
It is not yet apparent whether his travel timeline will be disrupted following overnight US military strikes inside Iran.
During the trip, Hegseth is slated to hold high-level consultations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, one source indicated to CNN.
A primary objective of the mission is to soothe anxieties in Jerusalem regarding a potential American deal to supply advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkey, a policy option floated by President Donald Trump at the ongoing NATO summit in Ankara.
Hegseth had planned to visit Israel in May of 2025 but ultimately cancelled the visit. He visited Israel in 2018 while he was still a journalist.
Word of his planned visit follows an interview with CNN earlier Tuesday, in which Netanyahu sharply critiqued the Turkish leadership, asserting that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is “not exactly a model ally of the United States."
The prime minister further remarked that Erdogan “threatens to destroy my country, the one and only Jewish state." Currently, Israel remains the sole nation in the Middle East operating the F-35, which represents the pinnacle of American aviation technology.
A US official tracking the diplomatic scheduling noted, according to CNN, that Hegseth, who initially accompanied the president to the NATO summit in Turkey, intends to separate from Trump’s primary delegation on Wednesday.
When approached for confirmation, the White House did not immediately issue a statement, while the Pentagon declined to comment on the matter.