Hegseth dilaporkan melawat Israel secara senyap, berjumpa Netanyahu

The New York Times, citing two people familiar with the matter, reported that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a low-key visit to Israel and held talks with Israeli officials including Netanyahu. The trip was not made public in advance; it remains unclear whether the US and Israeli sides have formally confirmed the visit and the talks, and the specific substance of the discussions has not been disclosed.

The New York Times said the trip took place amid stalled diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war. Israel is due to hold an election in about a week, and Hegseth's contact with Israeli officials thus came against the backdrop of both stalled efforts to end the war and an approaching election.

However, this contact left key questions unanswered: the report did not explain the negotiating mandate Hegseth had, the focus of the discussions or any follow-up mechanism, nor did it show any new progress in US-Iran talks, ceasefire arrangements or Iran's response. The visit came close in time to Israel's election, but the report offered no evidence that the two were connected. The available information supports only an instance of US-Israeli contact within stalled diplomacy, rather than an established policy shift or diplomatic breakthrough.