Hegseth hails US partnership with Israel and several Gulf states against Iran

By Nava Freiberg

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19 March 2026, 2:41 pm

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Nava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.

(L) US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and (R) Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine arrive for a news conference at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on March 19, 2026 (Mandel NGAN / AFP)

United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hails partnership with Israel and several Gulf states in the US-Israeli campaign against Iran.

Speaking at a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth describes Israel as “an incredible and capable partner” from the outset of the conflict, and adds that Gulf countries — including the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia “and others” — have “stepped up incredibly.”

“Iran’s sort of reckless attempt to strike civilian infrastructure and other things has brought countries who maybe would have not been as all-in as they are today squarely into our orbit,” he says.