US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth flew to Jerusalem on Wednesday to discuss a possible sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turk...

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth flew to Jerusalem on Wednesday to discuss a possible sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a source told Reuters. The meeting also included Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, with Iran topping the agenda alongside the fighter jet question. Netanyahu made his opposition clear before Hegseth even landed. In a CNN interview Tuesday, the Israeli PM said selling F-35s to Turkey would destroy the power balance in the Middle East, pointing to what he called Turkey's aggressive aspirations. He also confirmed he had already communicated that opposition directly to Trump. The backdrop to all of this is a sharp shift in US-Turkey relations. President Trump, attending the NATO summit in Turkey, announced Tuesday he would lift sanctions imposed on Ankara over its 2019 purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system. Those sanctions had also gotten Turkey kicked out of the F-35 program entirely. Turkey has been a persistent critic of Israeli military operations in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria. Ankara has also repeatedly accused Israel of trying to sabotage the US-Iran ceasefire deal brokered by Pakistan, adding another layer of tension to what is already a complicated three-way dynamic between Washington, Jerusalem, and Ankara. Even if Trump wants the sale to move forward, it faces real obstacles. The jet transfer remains blocked under existing US law, and it is expected to run into strong resistance in Congress in addition to pushback from Israel. Whether Hegseth's visit to Netanyahu changes the calculus or simply hardens positions remains to be seen. #Turkey #F35 #Netanyahu