U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has canceled a meeting that had been scheduled for Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where the possible sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey was expected to be discussed, an Israeli source told Reuters.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Hegseth had also been due to meet Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz during a visit to Israel. Iran was also expected to feature in the discussions.
The U.S. Embassy in Israel had no immediate comment on Hegseth’s planned meetings.
Netanyahu opposes F-35 sale
The canceled meeting comes after Netanyahu publicly reiterated his opposition to supplying the advanced fighter jets to Turkey.
In an interview with CNN on Tuesday, the Israeli prime minister said he had made his objections clear to U.S. President Donald Trump.
“It would destroy the power balance in the Middle East because Turkey has aggressive aspirations,” Netanyahu said.
Trump signals policy shift
Trump, who is attending the NATO summit in Turkey alongside Hegseth, announced on Tuesday that the United States would lift sanctions imposed on Ankara over its 2019 purchase of Russian air defense missiles.
He also signalled a willingness to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, a move likely to face strong resistance in both the U.S. Congress and Israel.
On Wednesday, Trump also declared that the memorandum of understanding signed to end the conflict launched by the United States and Israel against Iran was “over” and said he no longer wanted to engage with Tehran.
Long-running dispute over the F-35 program
Relations between Washington and Ankara deteriorated sharply after Turkey acquired the Russian S-400 air defense system.
The purchase prompted the United States to impose sanctions on a major Turkish defense company and remove Turkey from the F-35 stealth fighter program.
Although ties between the two countries have improved significantly since Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025, sales of the aircraft remain blocked under U.S. law.
Turkey, a NATO member, has also been highly critical of Israeli military operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, and has repeatedly accused Israel of attempting to undermine the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement mediated by Pakistan.
