JERUSALEM – US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will discuss the possible sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey on Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters, a sale likely to anger Israeli officials.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Hegseth was also scheduled to meet Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and that Iran would feature in their discussions.
In an interview with CNN on Tuesday, Netanyahu said he opposed the sale of F-35s to Turkey, and that he had made his opposition clear to Trump.
“It would destroy the power balance in the Middle East because Turkey has aggressive aspirations,” Netanyahu told CNN.
Turkey, a NATO member, has long criticised Israeli operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, and it has repeatedly accused Israel of trying to undermine the US-Iran ceasefire deal mediated by Pakistan.
