Hegseth cancels Israel trip as Netanyahu opposes Trump's F-35 sale to Turkey

Canceled visit

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth canceled his planned trip to Israel on Wednesday, according to Israeli media reports. Hegseth had been expected to travel from Ankara, where he was accompanying President Donald Trump at the NATO summit, for a short visit to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. The trip would have been his first to Israel as Pentagon chief. No reason was given for the cancellation, and Hegseth remained in Ankara for the summit.

F-35 sale dispute

The visit was intended partly to ease Israeli concerns over Trump's announcement that he would lift CAATSA sanctions on Turkey and consider selling F-35 fighter jets to Ankara. Netanyahu told CNN on Tuesday that he opposes the sale, saying he made his position clear to Trump.

It would destroy the balance of power in the Middle East because Turkey has aggressive ambitions.

A US official, speaking on the sidelines of the NATO summit, said lifting CAATSA alone is not enough to allow Turkey to purchase the F-35s. "There is no possibility," the official said.

Iran escalation

The canceled visit came amid a sharp military escalation between the US and Iran. US forces launched strikes against Iran after three commercial tankers were hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump, speaking from Ankara, said the memorandum of understanding with Tehran was now "finished." Iran's Revolutionary Guards retaliated by striking 85 US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, according to Iranian state media. Kuwait's military reported activating air defense sirens after detecting hostile missiles and drones.

NATO summit backdrop

The 36th NATO summit in Ankara provided the stage for Trump's outreach to Turkey. The president and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan displayed warm ties, but the F-35 issue exposed friction with Israel. Hegseth's canceled trip leaves the diplomatic effort to reassure Israel unresolved.