US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has cancelled a meeting that was scheduled for Wednesday to discuss the possible sale of F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a Reuters report citing an Israeli source.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Hegseth had also been due to meet Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz during his visit, with Iran expected to feature prominently in their discussions. The US embassy in Israel did not immediately comment on the cancelled meetings.
The development comes after US President Donald Trump said the memorandum of understanding with Iran was “over” and signalled he no longer wished to engage with Tehran.
Netanyahu reiterated his opposition to a potential F-35 sale to Türkiye, telling CNN that he had conveyed his concerns directly to Trump. Any approval of the deal is expected to face resistance from Israeli officials, while Türkiye has continued to accuse Israel of undermining efforts to preserve the US-Iran ceasefire.