Hegseth set to visit Israel amid concerns over potential F-35 sale to Turkey

US defense minister’s trip would be his first since he became Pentagon chief; is expected to meet Netanyahu and Katz

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reportedly expected to arrive in Israel on Wednesday, with the trip meant in part to ease Israeli concerns about the possible sale of F-35 stealth fighters to Turkey.

Hegseth, who will be visiting Israel for the first time as Pentagon chief, is likely to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz.

According to CNN and Axios, Iran is also expected to be a topic of conversation. The US military unleashed a new wave of strikes Tuesday against the regime after three tankers were hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, putting further pressure on the already fragile ceasefire.

Iran’s top joint military command said Iranian armed forces would deliver a “crushing response” to the strikes, and carried out attacks on US allies Bahrain and Kuwait.

Hegseth is set to arrive in Israel from Turkey, where Trump said Tuesday that he would “certainly consider” selling F-35 fighter jets to Ankara, as he sat alongside Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan ahead of a NATO summit.

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“It’s a decision we’re going to make… It’s certainly something we would consider,” Trump said, noting that “we have a better relationship with Turkey, and Turkey has been in many ways much more loyal than other countries.”

While Trump’s remarks suggested that he was still deliberating the move, Reuters — citing two sources familiar with the matter — reported earlier Tuesday that Trump is expected to throw his support behind the sale.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview on Monday that Israel is opposed to the sale, and on Tuesday confirmed that he urged Trump against the move.

Turkey’s leaders have likened Israel’s conduct in Gaza to that of the Nazis during the Holocaust. Jerusalem has also warned that selling the stealth jets to Ankara would undermine Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region, which US law commits to maintaining.

Greece is also said to be against the sale.

The F-35, built with stealth technology that allows it to evade enemy detection, is considered the world’s most advanced fighter jet.

Israel has operated the aircraft for over a decade, building multiple squadrons, and has previously worked to prevent the sale of the F-35 to other nearby countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Turkey joined a multinational program to purchase F-35 fighter jets from the United States, but was removed from it in 2020 over its purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems.

Legal hurdles remain before Turkey could be fully admitted back to the US F-35 program, but the removal of sanctions issued under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act would help ease that process. Trump said Tuesday that Hegseth was among the officials working on the issue.

Jacob Magid contributed to this report.

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