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Wednesday, July 8, 2026

War clouds loom over Gulg again as US defence secretary cancels Israel visit

8 July 2026 16:15 (UTC+04:00)
War clouds loom over Gulg again as US defence secretary cancels Israel visit
Akbar Novruz
Akbar Novruz
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US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has canceled his planned visit to Israel, according to Israeli Channel 12. This visit, scheduled for Wednesday and his first since taking office, was meant to address Israeli concerns regarding the potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye, AzerNEWS reports.

Earlier in the week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned that providing these advanced stealth aircraft to Ankara would "destroy the balance of power in the Middle East" and undermine Israel’s military superiority. Netanyahu emphasized that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly threatened Israel and referred to Türkiye as “not a friendly state.”

In response, the Turkish Foreign Ministry labeled Netanyahu’s comments as a "disinformation campaign" aimed at undermining Türkiye’s defense requests and diverting attention from ongoing regional conflicts.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes the memorandum of understanding with Iran is "over" following a major escalation between Washington and Tehran, as both sides exchanged military strikes across the Middle East.

Earlier, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it had launched strikes against U.S. military targets in Bahrain and Kuwait in response to a series of American attacks.

The United States had previously carried out strikes against Iranian-linked targets and reintroduced sanctions on Iranian oil exports as a form of "punishment" for attacks on vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, according to a U.S. official.

The U.S. military said it had struck more than 80 military targets.

The escalation unfolded as NATO leaders gathered in Türkiye for a summit focused on defense spending and alliance security.

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