In a significant diplomatic and defence development, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth conducted an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday to confer with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The high-level discussions focused heavily on strategic responses to Iran, reflecting the rapidly intensifying geopolitical friction across the region.

Neither the Pentagon nor the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office immediately provided official comments regarding the confidential meeting, which was first broken by Axios. Israel’s Army Radio reported that the dialogue took place at a military air force base located in Israel’s southern desert.