Hegseth made unannounced Israel stop as US-Iran tensions rose
What's new: The defense secretary also met Benjamin Netanyahu at an air base in southern Israel, Axios first reported.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unannounced visit to Israel on Oct. 19 and met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as friction between Washington and Tehran deepened over the Strait of Hormuz and wider regional fighting. Hegseth posted that he had visited US service members in the Central Command area, which spans the Middle East, northeast Africa and parts of Asia. Israel's Army Radio reported the Netanyahu meeting took place at an air force base in the southern desert. The trip came as Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia and days before Israel's Oct. 27 parliamentary election.