Hegseth cancels meeting with Netanyahu over possible sale of F-35s to Turkey

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth cancelled a meeting that had been scheduled for ​Wednesday to discuss the possible sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey ‌with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an Israeli source told Reuters.

Any such sale would likely anger Israeli officials. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the ​matter, said Hegseth had also been scheduled to meet Israeli Defence Minister ​Israel Katz on a trip to Israel and that Iran would ⁠feature in their discussions.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the memorandum of ​understanding signed to end the conflict that the US and Israel launched against Iran ​was "over" and that he didn't want to engage with Tehran.

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The US embassy in Israel had no immediate comment on Hegseth's planned meetings.

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.

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.

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Trump, who is attending a NATO summit in Turkey along with Hegseth, announced ​on Tuesday he ​would lift US sanctions ⁠imposed on Ankara over its 2019 purchase of Russian air defence missiles, and he signalled a willingness to sell the NATO ​ally F-35 fighter jets, a move likely to face strong resistance ​in Congress ⁠as well as in Israel.

Bilateral relations had deteriorated sharply over Turkey's acquisition of the Russian S-400 system, which prompted the US to impose sanctions on a major Turkish ⁠defence company ​and remove Ankara from the F-35 stealth fighter ​jet program.

Ties have improved markedly since Trump's return to the White House in January 2025, but the jet ​sales remain blocked under US law.