Hegseth Cancels Israel Visit Amid US-Iran Hostilities and F-35 Turkey Dispute

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth canceled a planned visit to Israel on Wednesday, according to reports from outlets across the political spectrum. Hegseth had been scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz during the trip.

The cancellation occurred against the backdrop of renewed US-Iran hostilities. The US military conducted strikes against Iran, and Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed they targeted 85 US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait in response.

The visit had been partly intended to address Israeli concerns over a possible US sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. Israel believes such a sale would undermine its qualitative military edge and air superiority in the region.

Turkey was removed from the F-35 program in 2020 over its purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems. Legal hurdles — including CAATSA sanctions — remain before Turkey could be fully readmitted to the program. Israel has previously worked to prevent F-35 sales to other nearby countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Center-right Israeli outlets reported that Hegseth had been set to arrive in Israel from Turkey, where he was attending a NATO summit alongside President Trump. The Times of Israel noted this would have been Hegseth's first visit to Israel as Pentagon chief.

According to The Times of Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu publicly stated Israel's opposition to the F-35 sale to Turkey and confirmed he urged Trump against it. Trump said Tuesday he would "certainly consider" selling F-35s to Turkey, characterizing Turkey as having been "much more loyal than other countries." Reuters — citing two sources — reported Trump is expected to support the sale.

The Times of Israel reported that Trump stated Hegseth was among the officials working on the F-35 program issue. The outlet also noted as background that Turkey's leaders have previously likened Israel's conduct in Gaza to that of the Nazis during the Holocaust, providing context for Israeli sensitivity to the sale.

Center-right outlets reported that three commercial tankers were struck by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz and waters of Oman. US Central Command characterized the American strikes against Iran as "a series of powerful strikes against Iran to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway," framing the US action as retaliation for the tanker attacks.

Center-right outlets reported that Iran's top joint military command stated Iranian armed forces would deliver a "crushing response" to the US strikes. Jerusalem Post reported that Kuwait's military issued sirens due to hostile missile and drone attacks, while Iranian state media reported several injuries after the US strikes.

The Times of Israel reported that Greece is said to be against the F-35 sale to Turkey, indicating regional opposition beyond Israel.

The US and Iran offered mutually exclusive justifications for the exchange of strikes. Iran's Revolutionary Guards characterized their strikes on US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait as a response to US ceasefire violations. US Central Command characterized its strikes on Iran as retaliation for Iranian attacks on commercial shipping. Each side presented the other as the aggressor in the renewed hostilities.

According to The Times of Israel, US President Trump said he believed the US-Iran memorandum of understanding "is over." Jerusalem Post reported that Washington announced it was canceling sanctions relief on Iranian oil sales — a key provision of the memorandum — with the US stating the cancellation was intended to punish Iran for the attacks and renew economic pressure.