Pete Hegseth holds secret talks with Netanyahu at Ovda base

Pete Hegseth flew to Israel on Monday for an unannounced meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, two sources with knowledge said.

They met at Ovda Air Base, deep in southern Israel. Refueling planes and fighter jets from the US sit at that base.

Pete Hegseth also spent time with US troops there, a source said, then shared a photo from the stop.

Why Pete Hegseth made the trip

The visit came just over a week before Israelis vote. It also came as Washington and Israel talk about restarting major combat operations against Iran.

Neither government has said it reached any verdict on the Iran war. Even so, the timing drew notice, because Donald Trump had endorsed Netanyahu the day before.

After the endorsement, Netanyahu phoned the president. He told Trump, “we have a job to finish.” Trump replied, “We’ll finish it, and nobody else will do it.”

Trump has floated a return to military operations against Iran after the midterms. He says he is still considering a deal with Iran’s leaders or an order to “annihilate” the country.

Trump also told reporters that Russia and China did little to help Iran. He called that outcome “very positive.”

Who joined the Pete Hegseth talks

Reports differ on who sat in the room. Army Radio said Emirati figures took part, while a separate report said Hegseth also saw Defense Minister Israel Katz and UAE representatives.

However, sources told another outlet that no Emirati officials attended the session with Netanyahu.

The Pentagon and the Israeli Embassy declined to comment. At first, the prime minister’s office gave no reply. Nobody has said if the sides raised another strike on Iran.

Pete Hegseth wrote on social media: “The best of our country, on a historic mission. Godspeed.” The post showed him with troops serving under Central Command.

Netanyahu went to the base by private plane, not by helicopter, after his convoy reached Ben Gurion Airport. Reports said that explains why he skipped a soccer match that he had planned to attend.

The vote is Israel’s first since the October 7 Hamas attack in 2023. It comes amid conflicts involving Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

Pressure on Hormuz shipping

The trip also came as Iran stepped up attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials say Tehran expects Trump to care less about high energy prices once the midterms end on November 3.

Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, hosted Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Tehran. He said the two countries have “never” worked as closely as now.

Their talks ranged from Europe to West Asia, including Lebanon, Palestine, Ukraine and Yemen. They also covered wider economic and nuclear cooperation.

US Vice President JD Vance has kept his distance from the Israeli vote. He told an interviewer that he is not “anti-endorsing” Netanyahu, but not “pro-endorsing” him either.

For now, the talks led by Pete Hegseth leave open whether the two allies will restart major strikes on Iran, and neither side has said what comes next.