US Defence Secretary backs Israeli war on Iran
The US-Israel alliance looks set to deepen as US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth expressed support for his Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz, according to Middle East Eye and agencies on March 5th.
During overnight talks, Hegseth reportedly told Katz that Israel should “continue [the war on Iran] to the end, we are with you.”
Katz thanked Hegseth for the extensive US assistance to Israel and noted that US-Israel cooperation against Iran is “changing regional and global history.”
US support for Katz has been expressed despite Katz advocating for Jewish settlers to occupy Gaza and his December 2025 announcement that Israeli forces would remain “deep inside Gaza.”
Furthermore, the expansion of Jewish-only settlements is widely regarded as illegal under international law; however, the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has expressed support for constructing more outposts in the occupied Palestinian territories and denied the existence of Palestinians.
Huckabee and Hegseth are staunch supporters of Israel, with Huckabee reportedly hosting convicted Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard at the US Embassy in Jerusalem.
Similarly, Katz has a history of inflammatory statements towards Israel’s enemies, such as when he threatened to unleash biblical plagues upon Yemen’s Houthis after they launched missiles at Israel.
The US is one of Israel’s largest arms suppliers, providing around 53% of Israel’s total imports of conventional arms since 2023.
In December 2025, the Pentagon announced a $8.6 billion contract for F-15 fighter jets for Israel, with Israel’s defence spending also expected to increase amid rising regional tensions in Iran, Syria and Lebanon.
Israeli defence firms, such as Elbit Systems and Rafael, have also been accused of complicity in crimes against humanity, with Elbit Systems advertising its self-propelled artillery systems as “battle tested.”
Despite concerns about the alleged complicity in war crimes, countries including Germany, Morocco and India have also discussed defence agreements with Israel.
Middle East Eye and agencies, Al Jazeera and agencies, Maghrebi.org
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