🔻Axios, citing two sources familiar, reports that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, during an unannounced trip to Israel on Monday.

However, Reuters said it has yet to independently verify the trip. The Pentagon declined to comment on the matter, and the Israeli embassy in Washington also did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

The report about the trip was published one day after Donald Trump, the U.S. president, announced his support for Netanyahu in next week’s Israeli parliamentary elections.

The elections are Israel’s first nationwide vote since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023; an attack that severely affected the country and pushed the Middle East into a period of unrest. After that, Israel became embroiled in war in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.

Iran has warned the United States and Israel not to plan a new attack on Iran under the pretext of upcoming elections in those countries.

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