US President Donald Trump speaks to the press after stepping off Air Force One at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Dallas, Texas. (October 1, 2026)
Day 217 | Trump vows to hit Iran “very hard” if linked to flydubai attack
US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Tehran was likely involved in an attack by a pilot on a flydubai flight to ‘Israel’ and that Iran would be "hit very hard" if it was.
The co-pilot allegedly assaulted the captain before passengers managed to save the plane from crashing.
‘Israel's’ prime minister claimed the man had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination."
"I would say the answer, based on what I'm hearing, is yes but we're working on it right now," Trump said when asked by reporters at the White House whether Iran was involved in the incident on the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
On whether the United States would retaliate against Iran if it was responsible for the attack, Trump replied: "Oh, they'll be hit very hard, don't worry."
The US leader's threat of retaliation came as he took a harsher tone on the stalled Iran war overall.
Trump was quoted as saying in a Time magazine interview published Thursday that it was "possible" he may resume bombing Iran after US midterm elections next month.
Republicans fear they could lose control of Congress in the November 3 election, with Trump's approval ratings at near-record lows over the Iran war and a surge in the cost of living fueled by high oil prices.
He also reiterated the threat to "annihilate" Iran that he made in his speech to the UN General Assembly last week, despite having previously cast himself as the "president of peace."
"Yeah, I would do that. It's possible," Trump told Time.
"Because by annihilating Iran, we've created peace in the world. With Iran, I don't think you could ever have peace."
Iran continues to exert control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz more than seven months after the initial US and ‘Israeli’ attacks on the Islamic Republic.
Trump says the war is about preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
The United States was meanwhile set to send a third US aircraft carrier and up to 10,000 extra service members to the Middle East by the end of November, the Wall Street Journal reported.
It was not immediately clear if the new carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, would replace one of the two carriers already in the region.
Trump had told aides he expected to resume bombing by late November, the Journal quoted him as saying.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s mother-in-law claims she saw him at his father’s funeral
Tayyebeh Mahroozadeh, mother-in-law of Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, has claimed on Thursday she saw him in “complete health” on the night of his father’s burial at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad.
In a video interview published by Akhbar Mashhad, Mahroozadeh stated: “I saw him that very night; thank God he was in complete health and soundness.”
Iranian outlets including Asriran carried the remarks, reporting her as saying she saw Mojtaba present at the shrine during the burial of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Mahroozadeh is the wife of Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel and the mother of Zahra Haddad-Adel, Mojtaba Khamenei’s late wife.
Zahra was killed in the February 28 attack on Ali Khamenei’s residential compound.
State-aligned media amplified the comments as confirmation of the current leader’s well-being, though no accompanying photo or recent audio of Mojtaba Khamenei was released.
Ali Khamenei was buried before dawn on Friday at the Imam Reza Shrine following his death in combined US and ‘Israeli’ air strikes.
Official footage from the formal mourning and burial ceremonies showed no sign of Mojtaba Khamenei, while his three brothers appeared beside their father’s casket.
His absence from visual records has long fueled speculation about his condition.
The claim comes amid persistent questions over Mojtaba Khamenei’s health since he was wounded in the February 28 strikes that killed his father and selected as successor in early March.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian recently told CBS News the leader has “no specific ongoing health issues,” describing meetings including one lasting more than seven hours and stating: “From a medical standpoint, he’s completely healthy… He has no issues.”
Earlier Western reports, including from Reuters, cited sources close to the inner circle describing severe facial and leg injuries, with some accounts of disfigurement and the need for further treatment.
Iranian officials have consistently downplayed the wounds as minor or fully healed, and the Supreme Leader has remained out of public view, with authorities citing security concerns.
A member of the Assembly of Experts recently stated that Mojtaba Khamenei was pulled from rubble after a hospital strike and remains “healthy” and capable of governing.
VIDEO - Yemeni govt forces strike Houthi positions in Taiz
Footage posted by the spokesperson of the Yemeni Armed Forces showing what it says are strikes on Houthi positions in the province of Taiz.
US sends two extra Patriot batteries to Saudi Arabia and Qatar: Axios
The US military has sent two additional Patriot missile batteries to the Middle East in recent weeks to protect critical oil and gas facilities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to an Axios report citing two American officials and a regional source.
The deployment aims to reassure Gulf allies that Washington will defend their strategic energy infrastructure if President Donald Trump opts to resume major military operations against Iran.
Trump stated Thursday that he is considering restarting bombing campaigns in the coming weeks, declaring that “either Iran signs a deal or it ceases to exist.”
US access to Saudi airspace would be essential for such operations, but Riyadh is unlikely to grant it without confidence that its oil facilities are sufficiently protected, the report adds.
Patriot systems form a core layer of regional air and missile defense, capable of intercepting aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.
Gulf states have relied heavily on them amid repeated attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen and earlier Iranian strikes, which have targeted energy sites and strained interceptor stockpiles across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and neighboring countries.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar host major oil and liquefied natural gas infrastructure vital to global energy markets.
Past incidents, including the 2019 attacks on Saudi facilities and more recent Houthi drone and missile strikes, have underscored the vulnerability of these assets and the importance of layered defenses that include US and partner-operated Patriots.
The move comes against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions following periods of intense Iran-related conflict earlier in 2026, during which Patriot batteries—including those operated by US forces and partners such as Greece in Saudi Arabia—intercepted numerous threats.
Officials have noted ongoing efforts to replenish depleted interceptor inventories through large foreign military sales to Gulf partners.
Analysts and officials have long emphasized that robust air defenses help deter escalation while enabling potential offensive options.
Additional systems in Saudi Arabia and Qatar specifically target protection of energy infrastructure rather than solely US bases, signaling a focus on partner reassurance amid Trump administration deliberations on Iran policy.
US to send third aircraft carrier to Middle East as Trump mulls resuming strikes: report
The Pentagon is preparing to deploy a third aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East, adding thousands of troops amid heightened tensions with Iran, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing US officials.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group departed San Diego on Sunday, while the USS Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, carrying Marines from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, left the following day.
The ships, aircraft, and personnel—estimated at 9,000 to 10,000 additional sailors and Marines—are expected to arrive by the end of November.
Two carriers are already operating in the region: the USS George H.W. Bush and the USS George Washington, the latter of which relieved the USS Abraham Lincoln in August.
If the George Washington remains when the Roosevelt arrives, the US would field three carrier strike groups in the Middle East simultaneously for the first time since April, before a fragile ceasefire took hold after fighting began on February 28.
The buildup would expand options for US Central Command as President Donald Trump weighs whether to resume military strikes against Iran after the November midterm elections.
More than 50,000 American troops and about 20 Navy vessels are already in the theater.
One US official said the additional forces “give US commanders more options if President Donald Trump chooses to escalate attacks on Iran.”
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly last week, Trump said he faced a decision over whether to pursue a deal with Iran or drive it “into hell,” adding that he might “annihilate” the Iranian regime.
In a subsequent interview, he called ramped-up bombing after the midterms “possible,” while rejecting Tehran’s latest ceasefire proposal.
The deployments come as the Navy confronts extended operational demands, supply-line disruptions from Iranian strikes, and reports of severe strain on earlier crews, including multiple suicide attempts during the Abraham Lincoln’s lengthy deployment.
Senior officials have prepared the Roosevelt’s crew for a potentially prolonged stay.
Whether the third carrier ultimately reinforces or rotates existing forces remains unclear, but the move signals sustained US resolve to maintain pressure on Tehran while diplomatic efforts stall ahead of the midterms.
US announces $24.4 billion contract to accelerate SM-6 missile production
The Pentagon and the US Navy announced Thursday a multiyear contract valued at up to $24.4 billion awarded to Raytheon, an RTX business, to accelerate production of the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6).
The five-year agreement, which includes two additional option years, targets faster output, higher manufacturing throughput, and cost savings for the critical anti-air and anti-surface warfare munition.
Officials framed the deal as essential for rebuilding stockpiles depleted by Iran and ensuring US forces maintain superiority.
“Our mission is to ensure our warfighters never enter a fair fight,” said Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment.
“This multi-year award locks in the magazine depth and lethal dominance our forces need to prevail, while demanding our industrial base produce at war-speed.”
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao emphasized the operational urgency.
“Maritime strength demands weapons at speed and scale,” Cao said.
“This investment expands production and delivers the firepower our warfighters need to fight, win, and come home safe.” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle added that combat credibility depends on sufficient weapons produced at the required scale, noting the award provides industry the demand signal to expand production and build fleet magazine depth.
The SM-6 is described by Raytheon as the only combat-proven weapon capable of anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, and ballistic missile defense.
It has been successfully fired from US Navy ships and land-based launchers, offering versatile defense against a range of kinetic threats.
Raytheon President Phil Jasper stated: “SM-6’s multi-mission capability is vital to our customer, and Raytheon is intensely focused on meeting the demand. By continuously investing in our operations and facilities, we are removing constraints and boosting capacity to ensure we deliver this critical capability our sailors depend on.”
The contract builds on earlier framework agreements between Raytheon and the Department of War aimed at expanding production capacity.
Company officials noted investments in workforce growth, facility upgrades, automation, and industrial partnerships to support significantly higher output for both near- and long-term needs.
The multiyear structure is intended to give industry the predictability required to expand capacity and secure supply chains.
This award follows other large munitions contracts this year, including a $20.7 billion provisional multiyear deal for Raytheon’s AMRAAM missiles and a $58.6 billion Patriot interceptor agreement with Lockheed Martin.
Officials said such long-term commitments, alongside a recent Tomahawk award, form part of a broader push under the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Munitions to accelerate delivery of critical weapons and strengthen the defense industrial base.
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Read more: Day 216 | Iran says it has received US counterproposal to 7-day ceasefire plan
