Secretary Cancels Israel Meeting Over Turkey F-35 Deal

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth canceled a scheduled meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, abruptly halting talks that were to address a growing rift over a potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. The cancellation occurred amid renewed military tensions between the United States and Iran and followed Netanyahu's public opposition to the arms deal.

Hegseth was on a trip to the region, attending a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, alongside President Donald Trump. He had been expected to travel separately to Israel for his first official visit as defense secretary, with meetings planned with both Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. While no official reason was given for canceling the meeting with Netanyahu, the decision came one day after the Israeli leader voiced strong objections in a CNN interview. Netanyahu argued that providing Turkey with America's most advanced stealth fighter would destroy the regional power balance, citing Turkey's aggressive aspirations. He stated he had made his opposition clear directly to President Trump.

The proposed sale is intertwined with a significant shift in U.S.-Turkey...