Senior Trump administration officials met to discuss Iran war at Camp David

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Saturday that the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is "ironclad" and that President Trump has "all the options helium needs connected the table" if Iran continues to "play games" with the strait.

"Iran wants to play games with things similar the Strait of Hormuz. They don't power it, we do," Hegseth told reporters. "They person virtually gotten thing through. Our blockade has been ironclad and we're moving astir astatine prewar levels each azygous nighttime done that, you spot that arsenic acold arsenic the throughput."

He added: "So we consciousness similar we're successful a precise beardown position. Iran ought marque the close choice. If they don't, the president is going to person each the options helium needs connected the table. But helium is not going to fto these things widen unnecessarily. He understands what the ngo is and we tin get it done erstwhile called upon."

Hegseth besides said that Mr. Trump is "hellbent" connected Iran not having a atomic weapon.

"The connection is precise simple: Iran volition ne'er ever ever person a atomic weapon. President Trump is hell-bent and determined to guarantee that they bash not; they volition not," Hegseth said.

Yemen's Houthis claimed an onslaught connected an lipid installation adjacent the Saudi superior connected Saturday, wherever an Agence France-Presse writer saw flames and smoke, and accused the Gulf kingdom of striking Sanaa dozens of times.

The foes person traded strikes since the Houthis seized each of Yemen's Red Sea seashore and took power of the Bab al-Mandab strait successful a lightning violative past month.

Houthi-affiliated transmission Al-Masirah TV reported that "Saudi force aircraft" deed Sanaa with 26 strikes, aft earlier reporting "Saudi aggression" against the Yemeni capital, without providing details connected the targets oregon casualties.

Two correspondents successful Sanaa reported proceeding large explosions and seeing warplanes firing missiles astatine the city.

In neighboring Saudi Arabia, flames and fume were seen rising connected Saturday day from an Aramco installation southbound of Riyadh, an AFP writer said.

While the Saudi authorities are yet to comment, precocious connected Saturday, the Houthi subject spokesperson Yahya Saree said the radical had targeted an lipid installation adjacent Riyadh with ballistic missiles and drones, adding that they sparked fires astatine the targeted sites.

The AFP writer reported seeing firefighters attempting to extinguish a blaze astatine Aramco's Riyadh refinery, located southbound of the capital, portion ambulances and constabulary vehicles were stationed adjacent the facility.

Sources acquainted with the concern confirmed to CBS News that the onslaught took place, but said the Saudis are inactive assessing who is responsible.

The White House and U.S. Central Command did not instantly respond to requests for remark connected Saturday's attack. 

CBS News reported last week that the Houthis had expanded attacks into Saudi Arabia, targeting lipid retention facilities astatine King Khalid International Airport successful Riyadh and Aramco facilities successful Yanbu, portion Saudi officials said a ballistic rocket aimed astatine Riyadh was intercepted.

Meanwhile, the Houthis' Al-Masirah transmission earlier connected Saturday besides reported rocket strikes connected the telecommunications web successful Yemen's northwestern governorate of Saada, 1 of the group's strongholds.

It comes aft the Houthis said that Saudi Arabia bombed the Yemeni superior itself connected Thursday nighttime for the archetypal clip since renewed warring broke retired betwixt the 2 sides successful July.

CBS/AFP

Senior medication officials convened astatine Camp David connected Friday for hourslong discussions connected the Iran warfare and the Saudi-Houthi struggle successful Yemen, sources acquainted confirmed to CBS News. 

The attendees included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, the sources said. 

The White House did not instantly respond to a petition for comment. The quality was archetypal reported by Axios.

The Iran warfare has present dragged connected for implicit 7 months since it was launched successful strikes by the U.S. and Israel connected Feb. 28. Meanwhile, the warfare betwixt the Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni authorities has accrued successful strength successful caller months aft a ceasefire that had lasted for 4 years.

Member countries person truthful acold released 325 cardinal barrels of lipid and oil-derivative products from strategical reserves, from 400 cardinal barrels promised successful March, the International Energy Agency said Saturday.

The update came a time aft G7 countries, successful coordination with the IEA, agreed to instantly merchandise 100 cardinal barrels of diesel and crude lipid to easiness planetary vigor proviso concerns caused by fallout from the U.S.-Iran war.

The G7 did not accidental whether the 100 cardinal barrels included the outstanding 75 cardinal barrels from the March IEA commitment, oregon came connected apical of that.

President Trump has been pressuring allies to merchandise diesel reserves to easiness a spike successful prices for the fuel, being felt successful America and elsewhere.

Restricted diesel supplies are 1 of the consequences of the warfare successful the Middle East, wherever Iran has been throttling vessel postulation done the Strait of Hormuz successful retaliation for U.S. and Israeli attacks.

Ukrainian strikes connected Russian refineries, portion of the fightback against Moscow's strikes, person besides affected the market.

Flames and fume were seen rising from a installation belonging to Saudi lipid elephantine Aramco southbound of the kingdom's superior Riyadh connected Saturday, an AFP writer said.

The circumstances remained unclear but successful caller weeks Aramco, majority-owned by the Saudi state, has travel nether onslaught from the Iran-backed Houthi militia targeting the kingdom arsenic portion of the warfare successful Yemen — wherever Riyadh is backing the internationally recognized government.

Aramco remains the flagship institution of the Saudi system and 1 of the largest firms successful the satellite by marketplace capitalization.

Last month, the Houthis said they launched strikes targeting "sensitive sites" successful Riyadh and Aramco facilities successful the kingdom's larboard metropolis of Yanbu.

In August, they besides targeted an airdrome and a installation belonging to Aramco successful Saudi Arabia's confederate Najran region.

In July, the Houthis announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, hitting Saudi tankers successful the Red Sea and raising questions astir Riyadh's continued quality to present immense quantities of crude to planetary markets.

Loud explosions were heard successful the Yemeni superior of Sanaa connected Saturday, arsenic the Iran-backed Houthis reported airstrikes successful the country by Saudi forces.

One analogous heard astatine slightest 5 blasts successful antithetic areas, portion different saw 2 warplanes firing missiles connected the city.

Al-Masirah TV, a Houthi-affiliated media outlet, reported "Saudi aggression" against the capital, without providing details connected the targets oregon casualties.

The transmission had besides earlier connected Saturday reported rocket strikes connected the telecommunications web successful the northwestern governorate of Saada, a Houthi stronghold.

Saudi Arabia bombed the Yemeni superior connected Thursday nighttime for the archetypal clip since renewed warring broke retired betwixt the 2 sides successful July, the Houthis claimed.

After respective years of calm, Yemen was plunged backmost into civilian warfare successful July, pitting the Iran-backed Houthis, who power astir of northwest Yemen, including Sanaa, against Yemen's internationally recognized government, which is backed by neighboring Saudi Arabia.

An lipid tanker has been struck by a projectile astir 4 nautical miles eastbound of Oman, adjacent the Strait of Hormuz, according to a U.K. navy agency.

The tanker reported astatine conscionable aft 1 a.m. section clip connected Saturday it was struck connected the larboard side. It said each unit members connected the vessel were safe, according to the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations.

The unidentified tanker was hugging the Omani coast, which is the U.S. way into and retired of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has repeatedly targeted vessels taking that way alternatively of the bluish Iranian route.

A tanker connected Friday was besides targeted successful the Strait of Hormuz. A tiny occurrence broke retired successful that onslaught but it was brought nether power and nary 1 was injured, according to the UKMTO. 

The onslaught connected Saturday would beryllium the 5th specified onslaught of the week. 

The sixth antheral arrested successful connection with the incidental astatine the U.S.-run RAF Fairford aerial basal has been released connected bail, according to a statement from U.K. Counter Terrorism Policing.

The 25-year-old, with dual U.K. and Iranian citizenship, was arrested connected Thursday successful transportation with 5 different men who were recovered adjacent RAF Fairford past play with ample lipid drums successful their vehicle. An accelerant, gasoline, was recovered successful the vehicle, but nary explosives, authorities said.

The individual, whom authorities initially said was 27, was arrested successful Westminster, London, "on suspicion of mentation of violent acts nether Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006." Despite being released connected bail, the fishy volition beryllium nether strict observation.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the U.K. sees "strong indications" that Iran played a portion successful the incident. Iran denies involvement.

"There are beardown indications that Iran played a portion successful what happened implicit the play astatine RAF Fairford, but of people it remains an ongoing, analyzable and superior constabulary investigation, and of people we are moving intimately with our colleagues successful the United States of America," the premier curate told the BBC.

Speaking astatine a run lawsuit successful Mobile, Alabama, connected Friday night, President Trump reiterated his content that the warfare with Iran volition extremity soon aft the midterm elections.

Mr. Trump told the assemblage that erstwhile the warfare ends, "oil prices volition travel tumbling down."

He besides claimed that if the U.S were to extremity the warfare immediately, it would inactive instrumentality Iran years to rebuild the harm to its infrastructure.

"We could permission tomorrow, and it would instrumentality them years to rebuild from what we did to them due to the fact that they conscionable wouldn't negotiate," Mr. Trump said. "They played their cards. They played their cards excessively tough."

A starring Iranian histrion has been sentenced to 1 twelvemonth successful situation successful Iran for her enactment of protesters killed during a bloody crackdown connected anti-government rallies successful January, a U.S.-based nongovernmental enactment said Friday.

Elnaz Shakerdoust, who acted successful dozens of films implicit a two-decade career, said successful February she would ne'er execute successful the state again aft the authorities killed thousands successful a crackdown connected nationwide protests.

The actress' sentence, which besides includes a two-year prohibition connected political, creator and online activities, was upheld connected appeal, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency NGO and the autarkic outlet Emtedad, which spoke with the actress' lawyer.

Shakerdoust's existent whereabouts stay unknown.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a telephone with Jordanian King Abdullah II connected Friday to sermon the conflicts successful the Middle East, according to State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.

The readout connected the telephone is airy connected specifics, but said the 2 spoke astir "a scope of bilateral and determination issues, including implementing the Trilateral Framework successful Lebanon, disarming Hizballah, and promoting stableness successful Syria." 

"Secretary Rubio thanked King Abdullah for Jordan's steadfast relation successful advancing determination security," the connection added.

Jordan has agelong been an state of the United States successful the Middle East. Iran has repeatedly targeted Muwaffaq Salti Air Base successful Jordan, which houses American troops and airplanes. In July, three U.S. soldiers were killed successful a onslaught connected the base.

In September, a strike connected Muwaffaq Salti Air Base damaged respective U.S. warfare planes.

Iran has continued to endanger strikes against immoderate state that hosts the U.S. subject successful the Middle East.

The U.K. navy's Maritime Trade Operations halfway said a tanker reported being struck by an chartless projectile Friday day arsenic it transited done the Strait of Hormuz to permission the Persian Gulf. 

In a statement, UKMTO, said the interaction caused "a tiny occurrence and blackout onboard," but the occurrence was extinguished and the vas continued connected its way, with "no reported casualties oregon biology impact."

At slightest 4 vessels person been deed by chartless projectiles this week successful and astir the strait, according to UKTMO, but analysts accidental the Gulf's vigor producers are making much usage of alternate routes arsenic Iran continues threatening maritime traffic.

Maritime information steadfast Kpler said earlier this week those alternate export routes had helped reconstruct vigor exports from the Persian Gulf to adjacent prewar levels.

The routes see shipping lanes done the Red Sea and Suez Canal, arsenic good arsenic a pipeline done the United Arab Emirates that efficaciously bypasses the strait, and a U.S.-protected way done the waterway.

About 21.8 cardinal barrels per time of crude and substance products made from crude are being shipped weekly, connected average, compared to the prewar baseline of 23.3 cardinal barrels per day, Kpler said.

"We are getting person to the norm, we are not astatine pre-conflict levels, but we are getting adjacent to there," said Matt Smith, Kpler's manager of commodity research.

President Trump said European leaders person agreed to merchandise a "massive amount" of their diesel lipid stockpiles to alleviate precocious prices, pursuing an exigency gathering of the Group of Seven leaders. 

A G7 video league convened Friday greeting to sermon substance proviso and prices, aft a telephone overnight betwixt French President Emmanuel Macron and Mr. Trump. After that meeting, Mr. Trump said Europe would merchandise diesel lipid from its stockpiles, opening "immediately."

"Europe has conscionable agreed to merchandise a monolithic magnitude of their heavy stocked Diesel Oil," Mr. Trump wrote connected Truth Social. "The process volition statesman immediately. Thank you for your attraction to this matter!"

A associated statement from G7 leaders released by the Élysée Palace successful Paris confirmed a "coordinated release" of 100 cardinal barrels that is to statesman instantly and volition instrumentality spot implicit a four-month period. This volition see a "front-loaded important diesel merchandise wrong the archetypal 20 days by G7 members and partners," the connection said.

The G7 consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the U.S., including the European Union arsenic a non-enumerated member. 

A White House authoritative said Mr. Trump spoke with Macron past nighttime and with the G7 leaders this greeting to negociate the merchandise of European diesel stockpiles. 

Read much here.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary, Mohsen Rezaei, mocked President Trump successful a post connected X connected Friday, calling him "the worst president successful American history."

"After 1 nonaccomplishment aft another, the worst president successful American past conscionable keeps talking," Rezaei wrote, "and present his words person adjacent outrun his ain fantasies." 

"You tin triumph each time successful your ain imagination," helium said. "But world is shaped by Iran — by its people, its soldiers, and its missiles."

The president said Thursday helium was "ensuring that Iran volition beryllium precise rapidly ended," insisting that Iran's ruling theocracy "is acceptable to fold up," and helium believes the U.S. volition triumph the seven-month war "right aft the election," if not earlier the U.S. midterms successful aboriginal November.

Ongoing hostilities successful Yemen person present displaced implicit 145,000, the United Nations Population Fund said Friday, with displaced women and girls facing the gravest risks.

Around 35,000 women "of childbearing age" and much than 3,200 large women are among the displaced, according to the UNFPA. 

"UNFPA partners person reported respective instances of large women giving commencement connected the roadside portion fleeing hostilities, without skilled assistance and amid life-threatening delays successful reaching broad exigency obstetric and newborn care," the bureau said successful a statement.

Nine wellness facilities successful the governorates affected by the struggle successful the westbound of Yemen person reportedly been destroyed oregon tin nary longer operate, the UNFPA said, portion 8 much person suspended services. 

The Saudi-led conjugation warring Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis accused the rebels connected Thursday of attacking an energy organisation presumption successful the Saudi metropolis of Medina, location to the second-most beatified tract successful Islam. 

Intense warring betwixt some sides adjacent the Red Sea saw 80 combatants killed implicit the past time alone, sources connected some sides told the French quality bureau AFP connected Friday.

Intense warring betwixt Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed forces implicit territory adjacent a waterway that is important to planetary vigor flows saw 80 combatants killed implicit the past time alone, sources connected some sides told the French quality bureau AFP connected Friday.

Fighting adjacent the Red Sea seashore successful Taiz state has raged since the Houthis launched a lightning violative weeks agone against Yemen's internationally-recognized, Saudi-backed government.

The Houthis person seized power of Yemen's full Red Sea coast, including territory on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the confederate gateway to the oversea and frankincense a important chokepoint not lone for Saudi vigor exports, but for planetary shipping arsenic a whole.

According to Houthi subject sources, astatine slightest 55 anti-government fighters person been killed implicit the past 24 hours successful warring against authorities troops successful the Taiz area. Government sources, meanwhile, told AFP that 26 troops connected that broadside had been killed.

Fighting astir Taiz is raging connected respective fronts, including successful highlands overlooking the coastal areas seized successful caller weeks by the Houthis. The rebels person yet to wrest power of Taiz city, however, which is Yemen's third-largest aft Sanaa and Aden.

The U.N.'s peculiar envoy for Yemen, Hans Grunberg, said Thursday helium was alarmed by developments successful Taiz, adding that the Houthis' operations airs "grave risks to the civilian population."

CBS/AFP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Friday that authorities were investigating whether the FlyDubai co-pilot accused of trying to clang a formation to Israel with 174 radical connected committee could person been "dispatched" by immoderate 3rd party. 

The Israeli person vowed that if that is recovered to beryllium the case, whoever sent him would "pay a precise dense price."

The co-pilot of the formation from Dubai to Tel Aviv allegedly stabbed the aircraft's skipper and tried to clang the level earlier being restrained by a radical of passengers.

"As clip passes, the representation is becoming clearer; the attacker underwent Islamist radicalization. He came to clang the level with its passengers," Netanyahu said Friday. "We are investigating whether helium was dispatched, and whoever sent him volition wage a precise dense price."

President Trump suggested connected Thursday that Iran could beryllium linked to the incident, without offering immoderate grounds oregon ground for the conclusion. 

Asked by reporters if helium had been briefed astir immoderate imaginable links betwixt Iran and the co-pilot, Mr. Trump said: "I would accidental the answer, based connected what I'm hearing, is yes," adding: "But we're moving connected it close now." 

When asked if the co-pilot could person been moving for oregon with Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mr. Trump said helium "could've been, yeah." 

In effect to a question astir imaginable U.S. retaliation if Tehran was connected to the attack, Mr. Trump said "they'll beryllium hit, precise hard, don't worry." 

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Friday that rebuilding regions destroyed successful the latest Israel-Hezbollah warfare is beyond the state's capacity, calling for backing arsenic helium visited the heavy damaged south.

"I americium alert of the magnitude of the crisis," Salam said successful Nabatieh, a large confederate metropolis deed hard by Israeli airstrikes. "But the standard of the needs exceeds the capacities of the Lebanese authorities and its quality to carnivore these burdens alone."

"We inactive request important funding" for reconstruction, the premier curate said.

Lebanese militant radical Hezbollah drew the state into the broader Iran warfare successful March by attacking Israel, which responded with monolithic airstrikes and a crushed invasion. The warring followed a erstwhile Israel-Hezbollah struggle that erupted successful 2023, which led to an all-out warfare the pursuing year. Lebanese authorities person enactment the wide decease toll from some rounds of warring astatine much than 8,900.

Hundreds of thousands of radical stay displaced, chiefly from the south, wherever Israeli forces person occupied a self-declared "security zone" stretching astir six miles into Lebanon from the shared borderline with Israel.

Last month, Salam said the estimated full outgo of the 2 wars could transcend $27 billion.

CBS/AFP

Iran's parliament has completed a committee-level information of a projected measure that would found what lawmakers framework arsenic the aboriginal Iranian absorption of the Strait of Hormuz, including the imposition of fees connected commercialized vessels utilizing the captious waterway.

Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesperson for the parliament's National Security Commission, told the semi-official Tasnim quality agency the projected "Strategic Action Plan for Ensuring Security and Sustainable Development of the Strait of Hormuz" would sphere Iranian power implicit each postulation done the strait successful enactment with Iran's nationalist interests and security.

Under the bill, Iran would complaint vessels for services including navigation, biology protection, bunkering and fuel. Ships linked to Israel, countries deemed hostile by Iran, countries that person carried retired subject enactment against Iran, oregon vessels carrying subject cargo would beryllium prohibited from passing done the strait nether the legislation, Ghashghavi said.

Ships from countries not considered hostile would person to get authorization from Iran's General Staff of the Armed Forces earlier transiting the waterway, helium added.

The measure volition present beryllium debated and voted connected by Iran's afloat parliament and, if approved, would past necessitate reappraisal by Iran's almighty Guardian Council and different authorities earlier becoming instrumentality successful the country.

The Trump medication rejects Iran's rhetoric suggesting it volition power the strait going forward, arsenic good arsenic Tehran's existent demands for each commercialized vessels to question support for transits. 

Iran has repeatedly targeted tankers and different ships it accuses of utilizing the strait without its permission, however, earnestly limiting the travel of lipid and state retired of the Persian gulf since the warfare began.

The U.S. has sent 2 further Patriot rocket batteries to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to assistance support lipid and state facilities, Axios reported Thursday, citing 2 U.S. officials and different unnamed determination source.

President Trump has successful caller days threatened to resume U.S. strikes connected Iran, telling TIME mag it was imaginable that helium could springiness the orders aft the November U.S. midterm elections, saying: "With Iran, I don't deliberation you could ever person peace." 

In August, Mr. Trump threatened imaginable U.S. strikes connected Iranian vigor and civilian infrastructure, but Saudi Arabia and Qatar urged him not to springiness the order, according to Axios, retired of interest Iran would retaliate by hitting their lipid and state facilities.

Speaking Thursday, Mr. Trump said helium was "ensuring that Iran volition beryllium precise rapidly ended," insisting the Islamic Republic was "ready to fold up" and that helium believed the U.S. would triumph the warfare "right aft the election," if not earlier the U.S. midterms.

Flights betwixt Iran and Iraq volition resume soon, Iraqi Ambassador to Tehran Yasser Abdul Zahra Al-Hajjaj has said, arsenic the 2 countries enactment to resoluteness disruptions to aerial question successful the aftermath of the U.S. imposing sanctions that barroom virtually each nations and entities from collaborating with Iranian carriers.

Following a gathering with Iranian Transport Minister Farzaneh Sadegh, Al-Hajjaj said the neighboring nations were examining mechanisms and initiatives to code the contented amid what helium described arsenic U.S. unit connected aerial transportation.

He highlighted the ample fig of Muslim pilgrims, students and businesspeople who typically question betwixt Iran and Iraq, arsenic good arsenic the countries' extended economical and societal ties.

"Flights betwixt the 2 countries volition resume soon," Al-Hajjaj said, according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim News agency.

In August the U.S. announced a raft of caller sanctions against Iran, including connected the country's aviation industry, which has led to aggregate countries canceling flights to and from Iran. 

European Union nations person discussed a projected merchandise of further diesel reserves amid U.S. unit to easiness substance prices, a root with cognition of the treatment told the Reuters quality bureau connected Friday.

In a Friday call, assorted EU governments debated a French connection for a associated merchandise of 50 cardinal barrels of diesel, the root told Reuters, and for International Energy Agency subordinate countries to merchandise 50 cardinal barrels of crude oil.

The countries besides discussed the thought that immoderate statement connected diesel reserve releases should see a committedness from the U.S. to not unilaterally prohibition diesel exports, the root said. G7 leaders whitethorn sermon the connection further connected Friday connected a call, Reuters reported.

The Saudi-led conjugation warring Iran-backed Houthi rebels successful Yemen said Thursday that the Houthis struck an energy organisation presumption successful Medina, Saudi Arabia, a metropolis that is location to the 2nd holiest tract successful Islam. The alleged onslaught drew beardown condemnation from the Muslim world.

Fighting has intensified importantly successful Yemen successful caller weeks, with authorities forces reporting aggregate airstrikes connected Houthi targets overnight and AFP journalists proceeding explosions successful the Houthi-held superior Sanaa.

The Saudi-led conjugation said the Houthi drone struck Medina's Taibah energy organisation station, which provides powerfulness to the Prophet's Mosque, Islam's 2nd holiest site. The Houthis denied immoderate involvement.

Saudi-led conjugation spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said a drone struck the Taibah energy organisation presumption aboriginal Tuesday morning.

"The probe and grounds gathered by the competent authorities person confirmed the engagement of the Terrorist Houthi Militia successful readying and executing this cowardly violent act, based connected after-action reappraisal and the wreckage of the drone used," helium said successful a statement.

The conjugation said 1 transformer was taken retired of work without affecting the wider energy network.

CBS/AFP 

Speaking successful Denton, Texas, Thursday nighttime astatine the Peterbilt Motors facility, President Trump said Iran "is acceptable to fold up."

He said helium believed the U.S. would triumph the warfare "right aft the election," referring to the U.S. midterm elections successful aboriginal November. 

"Maybe earlier the election," helium added.

"I'm ensuring that Iran volition beryllium precise rapidly ended," the president said, promising that U.S. vigor prices, which person soared owed to the war, would beryllium "rapidly, rapidly coming" down.

Mr. Trump said the U.S. was "trying to beryllium nice" to Iran's existent leader, but "we don't cognize who the hellhole to woody with, to beryllium honorable with you. Nobody wants to beryllium president."

The USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group and the USS Makin Island Amphibious Group are headed to the Middle East, a U.S. authoritative confirmed to CBS News connected Thursday. 

That could mean a full of 3 U.S. bearer onslaught groups and 2 amphibious acceptable groups being deployed to the portion astatine the aforesaid time, astatine slightest unless and until 1 of the groups is rotated retired of the region. 

U.S. Navy formation platform unit members ticker arsenic an F/A-18 Super Hornet lands aboard the craft bearer USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) portion the vessel is moored successful Honolulu, Hawaii, during Exercise RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific) 2026 connected July 17, 2026. Michelle Bir /AFP via Getty Images

A U.S. authoritative told the Associated Press that immoderate 7,000 sailors and 2,000 U.S. Marines were connected their mode arsenic portion of the deployment. That would bring the full fig of U.S. forces successful the portion to astir 20,000, on with hundreds of vessels and aircraft.

The forces could get by the extremity of October, the authoritative told the AP.

The USS George H.W. Bush and the USS George Washington are already successful the area, on with the USS Boxer amphibious readiness group.

President Trump suggested Thursday that Iran could beryllium linked to the alleged attempted hijacking of an Israel-bound FlyDubai plane. 

When asked by reporters if helium had been briefed astir immoderate links betwixt Iran and the co-pilot who allegedly attacked the flight's skipper and attempted to clang the level earlier being subdued by passengers, Mr. Trump said, "we're moving connected it close now." 

"I would accidental the answer, based connected what I'm hearing, is yes," Mr. Trump said. "But we're moving connected it close now." 

Mr. Trump did not supply further details. 

When asked if the co-pilot could person been moving for oregon with Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mr. Trump said helium "could've been, yeah." 

In effect to a question astir imaginable U.S. retaliation if Tehran was connected to the attack, Mr. Trump said, "they'll beryllium hit, precise hard, don't worry."