Trump pledges to hit Iran 'very hard' if regime is behind FlyDubai suspected hijacking

The United States and international partners reaffirmed Friday their commitment to countering Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, one year after United Nations restrictions on Tehran returned to force.

In a joint statement released by the State Department, the U.S. and Proliferation Security Initiative partners said they would continue taking measures to prevent the supply, sale or transfer to Iran of materials, equipment and technology that could contribute to proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities or nuclear weapon delivery systems.

The countries also committed to preventing prohibited transfers involving weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery, including UAVs, and other materials covered by the reinstated UN arms restrictions.

"We welcome all national-level efforts to implement our UNSCR obligations, as well as relevant activities that support our objective of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, such as those linked to Operation Economic Outcast," the statement said.

The countries also called on Iran to comply with its nonproliferation obligations, cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency and address international concerns about its nuclear program.

The Treasury Department announced Friday that its Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned "a member of Hamas’s military wing, along with two France-based individuals and two affiliated entities that provide critical financing to Hamas." 

“These designations expose a sophisticated, multi‑year financing architecture that moved more than $2 million to Hamas through deceptive charitable fronts and cryptocurrency channels, demonstrating the organization’s persistent ability to adapt its fundraising mechanisms to evade detection,” the department said in a statement. 

It added that Saleem Abdallah Saleem al-Zaq, who was targeted in Friday's action, "is a Gaza-based battalion deputy in the Hamas military wing who oversees a financial network that has used various money services businesses and cryptocurrency wallets to transfer significant funds to the Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades.

"Faouzi Barika (Barika) and Amel Oualid (Oualid) operate from France, where they run purported charities ostensibly to raise money for humanitarian purposes to aid Gazan civilians.  In reality, they partner with al-Zaq to raise and transfer money directly to him, which al-Zaq in turn funnels to Hamas," it continued. 

State Department spokesman Thomas Pigott said “this action underscores the enduring U.S. commitment to dismantling Hamas’s global support networks and denying the group the resources it needs to plan and carry out terrorism that threatens the security of Americans, our partners, and the broader Middle East. 

“It reflects close coordination between the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the FBI to expose how Hamas exploits humanitarian and charitable structures abroad to disguise terrorist financing as legitimate aid work," he also said. 

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said Friday that a tanker has been struck while traveling through the Strait of Hormuz. 

"The Master of a tanker has reported being struck by an unknown projectile, whilst conducting an outbound transit, resulting in a small fire and blackout onboard. The fire has since been extinguished and the vessel is underway," the UKMTO said. 

"There are no reported casualties or environmental impact," it added. 

An Iranian lawmaker claimed Friday that Tehran is in control of the Strait of Hormuz, a report said.

Mohammadreza Rezaei Kouchi, the head of the Iranian parliament’s civil affairs committee, said Iran's military has “full intelligence and operational oversight” of the key waterway, according to Iran International.

“Any vessel seeking to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and any developments there, will be subject solely to the will of Iran’s armed forces,” he reportedly added.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States has “almost total control” of the Strait of Hormuz.

“I would say total control,” he said before adding that “everyone said, 'Well, they'll drop a mine in there and disrupt things a little bit,' but we have virtually total control of the strait.”

Fox News Digital's Emma Bussey contributed to this post.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said in a new report issued Friday that the threat environment in the Middle East "remains elevated" for commercial shipping as "no diplomatic resolution has been achieved." 

It assessed the risks as following: "Strait of Hormuz SEVERE (hostile action highly likely, continued navigation interference and potential mining activity); Gulf of Oman MODERATE (ongoing electronic interference and enforcement activity); Arabian Gulf MODERATE (navigation interference and residual kinetic risk remain present)." 

In the Strait of Hormuz, “Commercial vessels continue to be targeted on the southern route, with ongoing military activity sustaining an increased risk to maritime operations,” according to UKMTO. 

“Since 6 Jul 26, 31 of 48 projectile strike incidents reported to UKMTO have occurred on the southern Omani route. There is probably other projectile strikes occurring that have NOT been reported to UKMTO," it also said. 

The warnings come as Reuters, citing data from S&P Global Energy, reported Friday that 19 liquefied natural gas cargoes exited the Strait of Hormuz in September, the highest monthly level since the onset of the U.S.-Iran war in February. 

The Israel Defense Forces announced Friday that it has killed a Hamas sniper who was planning "to carry out terror attacks against IDF forces." 

“Last night, the IDF and Shin Bet attacked in the Khan Younis area and eliminated the terrorist Thamer Hamaida, who served as a sniper in the Hamas terror organization,” the IDF said. 

“Throughout the war, the terrorist advanced terror plots and sniper attacks against IDF forces and Israeli civilians. The terrorist was eliminated in an aerial strike,” it added. 

Ret. Gen. Jack Keane told "Fox & Friends" on Friday that President Donald Trump still has the option of returning to a "major combat operation" against Iran as the U.S. is sending the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East. 

U.S. officials said to Fox News on Thursday that the ships are set to arrive in the region by the end of November and that these new deployments will add about 10,000 sailors and Marines to the Middle East. 

When asked Friday for his reaction to the new deployment, Keane said, "We've always anticipated — the Israelis and the United States — that Iran would likely escalate, prior to the elections in Israel in October, the elections in the United States in November. 

"So that is likely part of what has taken place here," he told "Fox & Friends." "But it's also — the president has on the table, and he's never taken it off — returning to major combat operation. For our audience, as a reminder, that's combined operations U.S. and Israel. Likely a much shorter period of time, likely a much more massive attack than anything we've ever seen before." 

Our intelligence is pristine. I mean, we've been tracking everything the Iranians are doing. Think about it, since the ceasefire on April the 7th. So we know where everything is, and we know what we need to do to deal with it. And obviously, we have priorities that certain things are very important. And it would provide complete devastation to this regime and its ability to go forward," added Keane, a retired four-star general. 

"No doubt we can put it on a path for its collapse. And I'm making the assumption that the CIA and the Mossad are working full time here to undermine the regime, fracture it, and also work with groups that want to provide some significant resistance to the regime. Let's just make an assumption that that's also taken place," he added. 

Fox News Digital's Emma Bussey and Liz Friden contributed to this post. 

A Russian payment platform targeted by the Treasury Department this week for allegedly helping the Iranian regime evade sanctions is claiming it has no connection to Tehran. 

The Treasury Department said Thursday that under Operation Economic Outcast, it "took unprecedented action against the A7 Network, a shadow banking network with ties to Russia used by the Iranian regime to evade sanctions." 

"The A7 Network was created and backed by U.S.-sanctioned persons in order to evade sanctions.  It has developed a global web of Sub-Agents, companies that are purpose-built to disguise payments linked to sanctioned sectors and persons as ordinary commercial activity," according to the Treasury. "The A7 Network has been leveraged by Iran, including Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps." 

The A7 Network, which was established in 2024 by Russian state-owned Promsvyazbank (PSB), said Friday that it "categorically rejects any allegations that it has worked with Iran or terrorist organizations," according to Reuters. 

The platform reportedly added that it is providing "legitimate import and export operations involving consumer goods and commodities."

Israeli police and the Shin Bet internal security agency have arrested a 25-year-old Arab Israeli citizen on suspicion of spying for Iran, according to The Times of Israel. 

The website, citing a joint statement from both agencies, reported that Mohammad Halaf recently was taken into custody in the city of Baqa al-Gharbiya. 

Halaf is alleged to have contacted Iranian agents and carried out missions on their behalf in exchange for "thousands of shekels," the report said. 

It added that Halaf is expected to appear in Haifa District Court on Friday on a charge of harming state security. 

President Donald Trump said Thursday that the U.S. is “trying to be nice” to Iran’s current leader as it seeks someone to negotiate with, saying most of the country’s leadership is gone.

Trump made the remarks while discussing the war with Iran during an appearance at a Peterbilt factory in Denton, Texas.

“For the most part, their leaders are gone,” Trump said.

“That was one of our problems. We don't know who the hell to deal with, to be honest," he added.

“We're trying to be nice to the current person, but we've got to deal with somebody at some point. So we're doing very well.”

Trump also expressed confidence in the war's outcome, predicting a quick resolution.

“We'll win very easily,” he added, stating he believes victory will come “right after the election—but maybe before the election.”

“Their currency is valueless. They have no money. They have no Navy—all 159 ships are lying beautifully at the bottom of the sea.” he said.

“They have some missiles, but we can handle it. Very few are left, and their manufacturing capacity is dead,” Trump added.

Yesterday's Fox News Digital live blog offers additional coverage of the conflict against Iran.

President Donald Trump told reporters Thursday that Iran would be hit "very hard" if it is determined that the regime was behind the suspected hijacking attempt of a FlyDubai plane heading to Israel earlier this week. 

The president made the remark after being asked if the U.S. would retaliate against Iran if they were involved in the incident. The aircraft, which left the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday for Tel Aviv, was diverted to Saudi Arabia after the pilot allegedly was stabbed by his co-pilot in the cockpit. 

"Oh, they'll be hit very hard. Don't worry," Trump said. 

"By the U.S.?" a reporter then asked. 

"You just ask them," Trump responded. "They know what happens." 

When Fox News’ senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked Trump earlier whether he had been briefed about any potential link between the suspect and Iran, the president responded that while the investigation is ongoing, it appeared to be a possibility.

"I would say the answer, based on what I'm hearing is yes, but we're working on it right now," Trump said.

Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace contributed to this post.