Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States would strike Iran hard if investigations were to confirm Tehran’s involvement in yesterday’s incident during a FlyDubai flight.
The plane, which was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was forced to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. According to Israeli authorities and passengers’ accounts, the co-pilot attacked the captain with a knife and attempted to take control of the aircraft in order to crash it.
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Asked by a journalist how Washington would respond if Tehran were found responsible, the US president replied: “We will strike very hard, don’t worry.”
Trump also spoke about the issue during a press conference at the White House. He said he suspected Iran had a role in the incident, but presented no evidence or concrete details. “I would say the answer is yes, based on what I’m hearing, but we are looking into it,” he said.
In an interview with Time magazine published today, the White House chief described an escalation of attacks against Iran after the midterm elections, to be held in November in the United States, as “possible.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Pentagon was preparing to send an aircraft carrier and several other warships to the Persian Gulf. According to the report, these assets would transport around 10,000 troops, and the deployment is expected to take place in late November.
Meanwhile, two US aircraft carriers are currently in the Middle East. It is not yet known whether another vessel of this type will be added to the fleet or whether one of them will be replaced.
