Axios, in an exclusive report, said that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, on Monday during an unannounced trip to the country.

Two sources familiar with the matter told Axios that the meeting took place eight days before Israel’s election and amid discussions in Washington and Israel about the possibility of resuming large-scale military operations against Iran.

Axios wrote that the timing of the trip is important given the closeness of Israel’s election and the continued consultations between the United States and Israel regarding Iran.

The Pentagon and the Israeli embassy declined to comment on the meeting. The office of Israel’s prime minister also did not immediately respond to Axios’s request for comment.