Key Points
- US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth met Netanyahu at Ovda Air Base in an unannounced Israel visit
- Washington and Israel are weighing a resumption of major combat operations against Iran, Axios reported
- Pakistan's army chief heads to Tehran today, keeping an Islamabad-brokered diplomatic track alive
The latest:
An unannounced visit by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth brought him to Ovda Air Base in southern Israel, where he met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Axios reported, citing two sources with knowledge of the meeting. The two governments are discussing whether to resume major combat operations against Iran. The base hosts US refuelling aircraft and fighter jets.
Details:
- The location: The meeting took place at Ovda Air Base in southern Israel rather than in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, according to Axios. The base is where US refuelling aircraft and fighter jets are deployed, making the venue itself a signal of the operational agenda under discussion. The visit was not announced in advance.
- The troops stop: Hegseth also met US service members at the base and later posted an image of himself with personnel from US Central Command, the command that oversees American military operations across the Middle East. No public statement set out what was agreed with Netanyahu.
- The phone call: In a separate call after Trump endorsed him ahead of upcoming elections, Netanyahu described the US president as the greatest friend Israel has ever had or will have in the White House. Referring to the war against Iran, Netanyahu said the two countries have a job to finish together.
- Trump’s reply: Trump is heard telling the Israeli prime minister: “You’re the man I want by my side, Bibi”. The exchange followed the US president’s public endorsement of Netanyahu before Israel’s upcoming elections, tying the campaign directly to the Iran file.
- The Pakistan track: Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is due in Tehran today as Islamabad continues efforts to mediate between Iran and the United States, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported. The length of the visit and the officials he will meet were not detailed.
- Earlier talks: The trip follows summer discussions between Munir and Iranian leaders that focused on preventing further escalation, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and securing an expedited end to the conflict, according to Tasnim. Pakistan has played a key mediating role between Washington and Tehran this year.
- Yemen front: More than 50 recruits were killed in a Houthi attack on a military training centre in Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition says the Houthis are exploiting traditional fishing boats to smuggle weapons, a tactic that complicates interdiction at sea.
- Economic fallout: Saudi Arabia postponed the FII conference in Riyadh after Houthi attacks. Egypt’s parliament pushed a vote on Saudi military assistance back to next week, and the US energy chief said Washington is allowing dark fleet oil tankers to ship crude.
Between the lines:
Two tracks are running at once. The venue Hegseth chose — a base hosting refuelling aircraft and fighter jets — and Netanyahu’s framing of a job to finish point toward preparation for renewed operations. Munir’s Tehran trip, built on summer talks about the Strait of Hormuz, points the other way. Neither side has closed off the other option.
What’s next
Watch for any readout from Munir’s Tehran meetings, Egypt’s parliamentary vote on Saudi military assistance next week, and a rescheduled date for the postponed FII conference in Riyadh.
