Hegseth meets with Netanyahu in Israel ahead of elections and possible restart to Iran war

Washington — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth quietly visited Israel on Monday and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a senior U.S. military official who spoke to CBS News under condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. A second source involved in the matter in Israel confirmed Tuesday morning that Netanyahu met Hegseth.The unannounced visit came just over a week before Netanyahu's party faces elections. It also comes after President Trump floated resuming military operations against Iran following next month's U.S. midterm elections.Hegseth confirmed in an X post that he was in U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility on Monday, sharing a photo of himself addressing American service members who he said were "on a historic mission." He did not specify his location or mention Israel.The Pentagon declined to comment on the visit.