Trump threatens Iran with 'very strong' strike if involvement in Flydubai plane attack confirmed

Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran would be “hit very hard” if involvement in the mid-flight attack on the pilot of a Flydubai flight was confirmed, saying he was leaning towards this hypothesis. “They will be hit very hard, don't worry,” the American president said when a journalist asked him if the United States would respond in the event that Tehran's responsibility was demonstrated.

During an exchange with the press at the White House, Donald Trump said he believed that Iran was involved, without commenting definitively. “I would say the answer is yes, based on what I'm hearing, but we're working on that as we speak,” he said. In an interview with Time magazine published on Thursday, he also considers it "possible" to intensify attacks against Iran after the mid-term legislative elections in early November.

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According to the Wall Street Journal, the Pentagon will send an aircraft carrier and other ships to the region, for a total of 9,000 to 10,000 additional troops and with an arrival expected at the end of November. Two US aircraft carriers are already in the Middle East, it is not clear whether the number will increase to three or whether the vessel due to arrive will replace one of those there.