Just eight days before Israel's crucial general elections, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived in the country on an unannounced visit and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a military base.

According to the US news website Axios, citing two informed sources, Hegseth met with Netanyahu on Monday at the Ovda Airbase in southern Israel. During his visit, Hegseth also met with US troops stationed at the base, which currently houses a large number of American fighter jets.

The visit comes amid intensive consultations between Washington and Tel Aviv regarding the potential resumption of large-scale military operations against Iran. This unfolds in the shadow of ongoing regional tensions and differing views on handling the Iranian dossier. However, no specific details about the meeting's content between Hegseth and Netanyahu have been disclosed.

Regarding the visit, the Pentagon and the Israeli embassy in Washington have declined to comment, and Netanyahu's office has remained silent. Meanwhile, Hegseth posted a photo on X with US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces, praising their role in the war with Iran.

These developments occur as Israel's parliamentary elections are scheduled for the 27th of this month, with US President Donald Trump having expressed his support for Netanyahu amid polls suggesting the ruling coalition's chances of retaining a majority have diminished. Previously, on the 13th of this month, Axios revealed that Trump and Netanyahu discussed potential large-scale military strikes on Iran over a phone call, following Israeli intelligence warnings about Tehran's efforts to rebuild its nuclear program.