US envoys cancel Israel visit amid ongoing Iran war, Israeli media reports

2026-03-09 - 09:52

US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner have cancelled a planned visit to Israel on Tuesday, according to Israeli media. Channel 12 reported the news without giving a reason for the cancellation, and there was no immediate Israeli or US confirmation of the report. Scheduled Iran talks The two envoys were scheduled to arrive in Israel for talks with officials there on the ongoing war against Iran, which has now entered its second week. The cancellation comes amid continued US-Israeli military operations and Iranian retaliatory strikes across the region. Conflict context The US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,200 people according to Iranian authorities, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, while the conflict has expanded to include Hezbollah engagements on Israel's northern border and Houthi-related tensions in Yemen. No explanation given The report did not specify whether the cancellation was related to security concerns, diplomatic scheduling issues, or policy disagreements. The absence of an official explanation leaves open questions about US-Israeli coordination as the military campaign continues and regional tensions show no signs of abating.