Trump vows to hit Iran ‘very hard’ if linked to flydubai attack

WASHINGTON, Oct 2 - US President Donald Trump declared on October 2 that he believed Iran may have been involved in a recent attack on a flydubai flight to Israel, indicating that Iran would face "very hard" consequences if found responsible. The co-pilot allegedly assaulted the captain before passengers managed to prevent a potential crash. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the individual had been subjected to "Islamist radical indoctrination."

When asked at a White House press conference whether Iran was behind the incident, Trump responded, "I would say the answer, based on what I'm hearing, is yes but we're working on it right now." He also reiterated his threat to retaliate against Iran if found culpable, stating that they would "be hit very hard."

The president's threat of retaliation came as he adopted a more aggressive stance towards Iran amid the ongoing conflict. In a recent Time magazine interview, Trump suggested the possibility of resuming airstrikes on Iran following the upcoming US midterm elections in November 3. This comes after his recent UN General Assembly speech, in which he reiterated his promise to "annihilate" Iran, despite his previous self-description as the "president of peace."

Trump expressed belief that "annihilating Iran" had helped create peace in the world, adding that Iran had never been capable of achieving lasting peace.

Iran maintains control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway, more than seven months after the initial US and Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic. The US is set to send a third aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and approximately 10,000 additional military personnel to the region by the end of November, according to the Wall Street Journal.

It remains unclear if the carrier will replace one of the two already present in the region. Trump reportedly expected to resume airstrikes by late November, as quoted by the Journal.