The US Secretary of Defense cancels his trip to Israel at the request of Trump.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has canceled his planned visit to Israel next Monday amid reports of tension between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to American and Israeli sources, Austin canceled his trip at Trump's request to join him on his tour in Saudi Arabia, where he will accompany him on a visit to the region. Pentagon spokesman Sean Barnell stated that Austin did not cancel his visit to Israel but was invited to join Trump during his tour in the Middle East next week. Austin was supposed to meet with Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and Prime Minister Netanyahu in Israel, where the visit had been prepared for days, including briefings at sea off the coast of Gaza. Trump's tour is expected to begin on May 12th, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick accompanying him on a visit aimed at strengthening relations with countries in the Middle East.