# Hegseth meets Netanyahu in unannounced visit

> US defense secretary visits Israel unannounced as tensions rise with Iran.
- Title: Hegseth meets Netanyahu in unannounced visit | Shortify
- Summary: US defense secretary visits Israel unannounced as tensions rise with Iran. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in…
- Keywords: pete hegseth, benjamin netanyahu, israel, united states, iran, strait of hormuz, houthi attacks, news, world, Hegseth, meets, Netanyahu
- Source: The Straits Times — https://straitstimes.com/world/hegseth-meets-netanyahu-in-unannounced-visit-to-israel-reports-axios
- Published: 2026-10-19T22:51:17+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: pete hegseth, benjamin netanyahu, israel, united states, iran, strait of hormuz, houthi attacks, news, world
## Hegseth meets Netanyahu
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel on Oct 19, 2026.

> US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel on Oct 19, 2026, a source familiar with the matter said
## Tensions with Iran rise
US-Iran tensions flare over the Strait of Hormuz and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

> Tensions flare between the US and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz and as Yemen’s Iran-allied Houthis intensify their attacks on Saudi Arabia
## Trump endorses Netanyahu
US President Donald Trump endorsed Netanyahu for Israel’s October parliamentary election.

> It came a day after US President Donald Trump endorsed Netanyahu in Israel’s parliamentary election to be held in October
## Key takeaway

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an unannounced visit to Israel on Oct 19, 2026, as US-Iran tensions over the Strait of Hormuz escalate.