US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth cancelled his scheduled visit to Israel on Wednesday, according to Israeli sources, as the United States launched military strikes against Iran. The trip, which would have been his first to Israel since taking office, was to include meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz. The cancellation came hours after American forces struck more than 80 targets in Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait, and President Donald Trump’s declaration that the ceasefire memorandum with Tehran was “over.”

The visit was intended in part to address Israeli concerns over Trump’s announcement at the NATO summit in Ankara that he would lift sanctions on Turkey and consider selling F-35 stealth fighters to Ankara. Viewed from Jerusalem, the potential transfer of the advanced aircraft to Turkey is seen as a direct threat to Israel’s qualitative military edge. Netanyahu told CNN that the sale would “destroy the power balance in the Middle East” and described Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a leader who “threatens to destroy my country.” Israeli officials have long argued that Turkey’s hosting of Hamas, its criticism of Israeli operations in Gaza, and its regional ambitions make it an unreliable recipient of sensitive US technology.

From Washington, Trump’s stance reflects a broader effort to reintegrate Turkey into the Western security architecture after years of strain over Ankara’s purchase of Russian S-400 air defence systems. At the NATO summit, Trump praised Turkey as a loyal ally and said he had “no concerns” about the F-35 sale, though he acknowledged that congressional opposition remains. Turkish officials, for their part, have pressed for the removal of defence cooperation restrictions, with Erdoğan stating that Turkey had already been promised five F-35s. However, US law currently prohibits the transfer of F-35s to any country operating the S-400, and bipartisan lawmakers have warned that Turkey could share the technology with adversaries.

The cancellation of Hegseth’s visit leaves the F-35 dossier in limbo, with no immediate diplomatic channel to address Israeli objections. The US-Iran military escalation has shifted priorities, and the Pentagon has not announced a rescheduled date. The NATO summit concluded without a resolution on the F-35 issue, and the US Congress is expected to resist any waiver of the legal ban. Meanwhile, the security situation in the Gulf remains volatile, with both Washington and Tehran trading accusations of ceasefire violations. The next concrete step is likely to be a legislative battle in Congress over any administration attempt to lift sanctions or approve the jet sale, while Israel continues to lobby against the transfer.