War Secretary Pete Hegseth discussed Iran with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, according to three Israeli officials. The meeting came as tensions continued to flare between the United States and Iran.

Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for the prime minister, later confirmed the meeting to Reuters. He said Netanyahu met with Hegseth at Uvda Air Force Base in the southern Negev desert region of Israel.

The discussion focused on “the threats in the region,” Spielman said during a brief phone call. Netanyahu and Hegseth also addressed the partnership between the United States and Israel in responding to those threats both offensively and defensively.

Hegseth thanked Israel for hosting American forces, according to Spielman. The spokesperson said those forces numbered in the thousands.

The War Secretary and Netanyahu also discussed President Donald Trump’s support for the Israeli prime minister. Spielman described the connection between Trump and Netanyahu as a central part of the conversation.

“There’s a deep personal relationship here that was at the core of this discussion,” Spielman said. His remarks provided the most direct description of the meeting released by the Israeli prime minister’s office.

Trump endorsed Netanyahu on Sunday ahead of next week’s parliamentary election in Israel. The vote will be the country’s first election since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel.

The Pentagon has not publicly commented on Hegseth’s visit. No public announcement from the Pentagon preceded the War Secretary’s meeting with Netanyahu at the air base.

Earlier, Hegseth wrote on X that he had visited American service members in the Central Command area of responsibility. That command area includes the Middle East, northeast Africa and parts of Asia.

Hegseth did not identify where he met with the service members. Spielman’s later confirmation established that Hegseth met Netanyahu at Uvda Air Force Base, but the source did not specify whether Hegseth met the American forces at that location.

The visit unfolded as tensions between the United States and Iran flared over the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, Yemen’s Houthis, who are allied with Iran, intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia.

American and Israeli forces launched joint strikes against Iran in late February. Those strikes set off the wider Middle East war described in the source account.

Netanyahu told Israeli media this month that he was not seeking to attack Iran before Israel’s Oct. 27 election. Trump has separately said he will not attack Iran before the United States midterm elections in November.

Israel has hosted additional American forces since at least February as part of the war with Iran. Those forces have included military aircraft, adding to the American presence that Hegseth acknowledged during his conversation with Netanyahu.

The unannounced stop placed Hegseth in Israel for direct talks with Netanyahu while regional military tensions remained active. Their discussion covered Iran, broader regional threats, military cooperation, the hosting of American forces and Trump’s backing for the Israeli prime minister.