Hegseth Met Netanyahu at Israeli Air Base Monday, Eight Days Before Israel's Election

Since Israeli and U.S. forces struck Iran in late February, the two governments have coordinated closely, and the shooting between Washington and Tehran has largely paused in recent weeks. On Monday, Oct. 19, that coordination showed up in person: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth flew to Israel and met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The visit was unannounced. Axios first reported it, citing two sources. A senior U.S. military official then confirmed it to CBS News on condition of anonymity, and a second source involved in the matter in Israel confirmed to CBS on Tuesday morning that the two men met. Two sources also confirmed it to Israel's Walla.

Where they met

The meeting took place at Ovda Air Base in southern Israel, according to Axios's sources. Israel's Army Radio also placed it at an air force base in the southern desert. The U.S. keeps fighter jets and refueling aircraft at Ovda.

Ynet reported that Netanyahu flew in on a private jet and that the meeting ran unusually long. What was said has not been disclosed.

The Pentagon declined to comment. Hegseth did not name Israel in his own post on X. He wrote that he was in U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility, shared a photo of himself addressing troops, and added: "The best of our country, on a historic mission. Godspeed."

Israel's Army Radio reported that UAE representatives also attended. U.S. sources told the Jerusalem Post that no Emirati representatives were present. Sources also told i24NEWS that no Emirati officials took part. The Netanyahu-Hegseth meeting is established. The UAE claim rests on one Israeli report that two other accounts contradict.

The election clock

Israel votes on Oct. 27. Polls show Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition losing its governing majority, though the opposition may also struggle to form a government. His challengers include a party led by former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot.

On Sunday, Trump gave Netanyahu his "Complete and Total Endorsement" on Truth Social. He also wrote: "BIBI NETANYAHU WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!" In a phone call afterward, Netanyahu told Trump, "we have a job to finish," and Trump answered, "We'll finish it, and nobody else will do it."

Vice President JD Vance did not follow suit. In an interview with 2WAY on Monday, he said: "I endorse American candidates, and that's where I'm focused on is the midterms. I'm not anti-endorsing him, but I'm not pro-endorsing him."

What both sides say about resuming strikes

The public line from both capitals is restraint, at least for now. Netanyahu told Israeli media last week he does not plan renewed strikes on Iran before the election, saying "it is not convenient for us."

Trump has said he is weighing whether to cut a deal with Iran's leadership or "annihilate" the country. He has said that decision could come after the November midterms. Neither government has announced a decision to resume large-scale operations.

At a Kansas event Monday, Trump said Iranian leaders wanted a guarantee "that we won't kill them like we killed the others." He also claimed Iran has killed "75,000 minimum protesters" in the last eight months. No source in the record backs that figure.

The pressure around the talks

The regional picture is tense. Brent crude settled Monday at $109.55 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate settled at $103.66, its highest close since Sept. 15, as markets weighed Houthi attacks on a Yemeni military training camp and strikes on Saudi energy and airport infrastructure.

IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said Monday that seven major cables run beneath the Strait of Hormuz and that "all the world's internet and commercial data depend on them." He added, "We are reminding the enemy of this so they know."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Tehran. Araghchi said Iran and Russia have never worked as closely as they do now. Trump told reporters that Russia and China have done little for Iran, which he called "very positive."

Washington and Jerusalem are not always aligned

Trump has pressed Israel at times. Over the spring and summer, his administration urged Israel to ease strikes on Lebanon, crack down on settler violence in the West Bank, and cut a longer-term deal with Hamas in Gaza.

Last month in Kyiv, envoy Jared Kushner said Israel's upcoming election may have delayed Gaza progress. "They just have a crazy election, and that makes them a little irrational in certain regards," he said.

The next dates are set. Israelis vote on Oct. 27, and Trump has tied his Iran decision to the period after the U.S. midterms. Whether Monday's meeting at Ovda produced anything beyond a photo with troops is a question neither the Pentagon nor Netanyahu's office has answered.