Hegseth Quietly Meets Netanyahu As Trump Weighs Massive New Iran Offensive

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unannounced trip to southern Israel on Monday to confer with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while President Donald Trump considers renewing large-scale strikes on Iran, Axios reports, citing two sources. The two men met at Ovda Air Base, home to deployed American fighters and refueling planes. The stop came eight days before Israeli parliamentary voting and about two weeks before the U. S. midterms. Trump has publicly endorsed Netanyahu's reelection, while Vice President JD Vance told journalist Mark Halperin he would stay out of Israeli politics, according to Daily Caller.

The visit highlights the strain the Iran War has placed on American arsenals. The Washington Post reports that U. S. forces used more interceptors protecting Israel than Israel's own military did, including more than 200 THAAD rounds, roughly half the stockpile. The Center for Strategic and International Studies says Patriot supplies had dropped under 1,000 missiles by July, and rebuilding could take years. Meanwhile, The New York Times reports Washington cleared a $2. 8 billion weapons sale to Israel that includes 40,000 bombs of 2,000 pounds each.

The Associated Press reports about 9,000 more sailors and Marines are heading to the region.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Daily Caller’s reporting. Read the full story at Daily Caller →