Trump gives new reason for starting conflict after threatening to hit Iran 'very hard'

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Donald Trump has added to his list of reasons for starting a war with Iran nearly eight months ago.

​The president has always said the ongoing conflict, which began at the end of February, was launched to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. But now he has claimed Operation Midnight Hammer was bombing “drug factories” in the country.

However, speaking at a rally in Durant, Oklahoma, Mr Trump said: ​“They went from Missouri and then at one o’clock in the morning, with no moon, dark as can be, these unbelievable machines led by the most incredible pilots in the world, they unloaded every single bomb, went right down air chutes into this, uh, drug factories, really.

“That’s what they were doing. They were nuclear and drugs. They were doing drugs, but they were doing the nuclear.”

It comes after he said early indications suggest Iran was most likely linked to the Israeli plane hijacking attempt on Wednesday.

President Trump warned the US would retaliate if the link is established to Iran, telling reporters: “Oh, they’ll be hit, very hard, don’t worry.”

Forty Iranian flights cleared to fly to and from Iraq

Iranian airlines, excluding Mahan Air, are allowed 40 daily flights to and from Iraq's Najaf International Airport, the Iraqi president's office said today.

Iraq had earlier ⁠halted flights to and from Iran ​last week following US ​sanctions.

But the Iraqi government sought exemptions for travel related to pilgrimage, medical treatment, and education.

"The prime minister ​appreciates ​the positive ⁠response shown by the US government to Iraqi efforts ​and its cooperation in ​granting ⁠the requested exemption," it said in a statement.

Trump's top national security aides secretly met to Iran – Report

The US president's top cabinet members reportedly met secretly at Camp David to steps in the Iran war and the Saudi-Houthi conflict in Yemen.

The meeting was chaired by Vice President Vance and included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA director John Ratcliffe and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, according to Axios.

"Things were decided or at least deeply discussed," one of the officials reportedly said.

Crude oil tanker struck off Oman

A crude oil tanker was struck by an unknown projectile off Oman, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said today.

Authorities are investigating the incident, and vessels passing through the area have been advised to exercise caution.

All crew members of the tanker are safe, and no environmental effects have been reported so far, according to UKMTO.

The ship's master reportedly said the vessel was hit on its port side 4 nautical miles (5 miles) east of Oman.

Trump says US will not be banning diesel export

US president Donald Trump said that he would not authorise an export ban on diesel, hours after G7 countries announced that they would release diesel from their emergency reserves.

“Europe has a lot of diesel, and they’re going to be making a major world contribution, and so are we, and we’re not going to be doing the export ban,” Trump told reporters today.

“We were never going to do it,” he said after appearing to back the idea over the last few days.

Trump's come after the Group of Seven major economies, including the US, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Italy, said they would release 100 million barrels of fuel in the four months, including “a front-loaded substantial diesel release within the first 20 days".

Watch: Israel warned UK over ‘Iranian attack’ ahead of RAF Fairford incident, Netanyahu claims

Watch: Trump now claims Operation Watch: Midnight Hammer was bombing 'drug factories' in Iran

Trump sends 9,000 troops to Middle East after threatening to it Iran 'very hard'

Around 9,000 US troops are being deployed to the Middle East aboard a group of ship after Donald Trump warned that new strikes against Iran could be on the horizon.

The group of ships now en route to the Middle East together carry over 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines.

It includes the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group, which recently deployed with the cruiser USS Chosin, and the USS Makin Island amphibious readiness group, which includes the USS John P. Murtha and USS Anchorage amphibious landing ships.

It could mean that three carriers are in the region as early as the end of October, according to a US official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

President Trump also said early indications suggest that Iran is linked to the co-pilot who stabbed his captain and tried to crash an Israel-bound flight on Wednesday.

He warned that if the link is established to Iran, the US would retaliate.

“Oh they’ll be hit, very hard, don’t worry," he said. “You just ask them. They know what happened. They’ll be hit very hard.”

India warns of major ‘food crisis’ in coming months amid El Nino and global conflicts

India 's foreign minister S Jaishankar has warned that the world faces a "major food crisis" in the coming months, as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East compound the effects of a super El Nino .

Speaking at an event organised by the Asia Society in New York , Mr Jaishankar said the two conflicts had "a devastating impact" on the economies of the Global South , and that energy, food, fertiliser and finance were all under strain at once.

"If you have energy as a big crunch and then food and fertilisers on top of it, and finance, because every time there's a conflict, money moves towards safe harbours and away from the Global South, the net result of it has been really very, very stressful," he said.

India warns of major ‘food crisis’ in coming months amid El Nino and global conflicts

US 'needs to get idea of bringing us to our knees out of its head', says Iran

President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Iran will continue to defend itself but remains open to discussions with America.

According to state media, he said on Thursday that the US needed to “get the idea of bringing us to our knees with terror and martyrdom out of its head.”

Pezeshkian added: “We defend the rights of our society with dignity and pride, and we have never run away from dialogue and will not do so, although the United States has targeted our country three times despite having signed the agreement.

“The enemies thought that with the martyrdom of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, the people, commanders, and scientists - the country - would collapse, but our national and internal unity and cohesion increased.”

Trump touts having the best numbers of any president, despite his dismal approval rating

Donald Trump claimed once again that he had the “best numbers” of any president, even as his approval poll ratings continue to slide and Americans are feeling serious economic pains stemming from the war in Iran.

The president was in Denton, Texas, on Thursday at a manufacturing plant on Thursday as part of a two-state swing that will also include a visit to Choctaw tribal lands in Oklahoma. He spoke to a crowd of a few hundred people as he tried — not for the first time this week — to convince voters that it was merely an image problem from which the GOP and his presidency are suffering.

"We have the greatest numbers of any president in the history of our country, and I can't get the word out,” the president complained. “The only thing we’re doing bad at is public relations.”

Trump touts having the best numbers of any president, despite dismal approval rating

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