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Trump says US \u2018trying to be nice\u2019 to Iran leader: \u2018We\u2019ve got to deal with somebody\u2019<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump<\/a> said Thursday that the U.S. is \u201ctrying to be nice\u201d to Iran\u2019s current leader as it seeks someone to negotiate with, saying most of the country\u2019s leadership is gone.<\/p>\n Trump made the remarks while discussing the war with Iran<\/a> during an appearance at a Peterbilt factory in Denton, Texas.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the most part, their leaders are gone,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was one of our problems. We don’t know who the hell to deal with, to be honest,” he added.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’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.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump also expressed confidence in the war’s outcome, predicting a quick resolution.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’ll win very easily,\u201d he added, stating he believes victory will come \u201cright after the election\u2014but maybe before the election.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTheir currency is valueless. They have no money. They have no Navy\u2014all 159 ships are lying beautifully at the bottom of the sea.\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have some missiles, but we can handle it. Very few are left, and their manufacturing capacity is dead,\u201d Trump added<\/p>\n 1 hour agoFollow the latest updates in the conflict with Iran<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> to follow the latest updates in the U.S.-Iran war.<\/p>\n 11 hours agoTrump says US military is \u2018knocking the hell out of Iran,\u2019 vows war will end \u2018very soon\u2019<\/p>\n President Donald Trump touted the U.S. military’s offensive against Iran<\/a> on Thursday, expressing confidence the war would end “very soon” and claiming prices would then fall.<\/p>\n \u201cThe military and the military loves us, so we love our military,\u201d Trump said at a rally in Oklahoma.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd boy, are they doing a good job knocking the hell out of Iran,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’ll be over very soon,\u201d Trump<\/a> said of the war before adding that \u201cprices are going to come pouring down.\u201d<\/p>\n Breaking News13 hours agoUS Energy Department employee charged with trying to aid Iran-backed Houthis<\/p>\n A U.S. Department of Energy employee from Richland, Washington, has been charged with attempting to provide material support to the Iran-backed Houthis, according to the Justice Department<\/a> (DOJ).<\/p>\n Federal authorities arrested Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, on Thursday following an investigation by the FBI\u2019s Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force.<\/p>\n According to court documents, Ellaboudy came to the FBI\u2019s attention after buying precursor chemicals often used to make explosives, as well as drone parts. Investigators also learned he took sick leave in 2024 after claiming he had been exposed to highly concentrated nitric acid.<\/p>\n Using his electrical engineering expertise, Ellaboudy allegedly helped test and modify solar generators and communications equipment while advising an undercover FBI source posing as a Houthi representative.<\/p>\n Prosecutors also allege Ellaboudy traveled to Yemen<\/a> in 2025 using an official passport previously issued to him while he worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.<\/p>\n Ellaboudy faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance before a federal magistrate judge at 11 a.m. Oct. 2 in Richland, a DOJ statement said.<\/p>\n 13 hours agoCENTCOM showcases USS George Washington flight ops as US enforces Iran blockade<\/p>\n U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released a video Thursday showing the USS George Washington carrying out flight operations in the Middle East and signaling its presence in the region amid the Iranian port blockade.<\/p>\n \u201cUSS George Washington (CVN 73) conducts flight operations while sailing in regional waters in the Middle East,\u201d the command said on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n 14 hours agoTrump issues stark Iran warning, says regime was weeks away from nuclear weapon<\/p>\n President Donald Trump warned Thursday that Iran<\/a> had been just a few weeks away from acquiring a nuclear weapon before war broke out seven months ago, while also highlighting Tehran’s anti-American rhetoric over the past 51 years.<\/p>\n “We just had the greatest numbers in history, but we’re going to have to do a little detour because Iran is about to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told a crowd at a rally in Denton, Texas.<\/p>\n “They were 3 to 4 weeks away, maybe sooner,” Trump<\/a> said of the regime\u2019s nuclear program. <\/p>\n “And I said, ‘Fellas, I’m sorry to do this to you, but we have to put out the fire in the Middle East because they’ll blow up Israel, they’ll blow up the Middle East, and then they’re going to start hitting us and Europe.'”<\/p>\n Trump criticized Iranian leadership, pointing to decades of hostile slogans.<\/p>\n “These people are totally crazy,” Trump said.<\/p>\n “They scream ‘Death to America.’ They’ve been screaming it for 51 years: ‘Death to America.’ So we had no choice. We had to do it.”<\/p>\n 14 hours agoIran oil shipments fall to zero under Trump’s Operation Economic Outcast: Bessent<\/p>\n Iran<\/a> did not load a single barrel of crude oil onto tankers in September, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Thursday, marking a major milestone in the Trump administration\u2019s \u201cOperation Economic Outcast.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIran loaded ZERO crude oil onto tankers in September,\u201d Bessent said on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Trump Administration is cutting off the Iranian regime\u2019s most critical source of revenue,\u201d Bessent added, saying Operation Economic Outcast is \u201csevering the economic lifelines that have allowed Tehran to finance its terrorist agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n 14 hours agoPutin keeps Iran uranium offer on table, hopes Strait of Hormuz stays open<\/p>\n Russian President Vladimir Putin<\/a> said Thursday that he hopes the Strait of Hormuz remains open to shipping and that Iran’s enriched uranium can still be removed from the country with Moscow’s support, according to Reuters<\/a>.<\/p>\n Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club, Putin said Russia’s proposal to help resolve the issue remains on the table.<\/p>\n Moscow has repeatedly said it is willing to assist.<\/p>\n “We are ready to provide assistance to both Washington and Tehran<\/a>, not only politically, not only in the form of ideas that could be of use in the negotiation process, but also practically: for example, through the export of excess nuclear material produced by Iran and its subsequent adaptation to the production of fuel for reactors,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov had also said in June, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n 15 hours agoIran accuses US, allies of \u2018double standards\u2019 on Israel, nuclear non-proliferation<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s<\/a> Permanent Mission to the United Nations criticized the U.S. and its allies on Thursday, accusing them of double standards and of manipulating international law to protect Israel.<\/p>\n Following a UN General Assembly debate, Iran also praised Russia and China for blocking a U.S. draft resolution to extend a UN panel monitoring sanctions<\/a> on Tehran\u2019s nuclear program.<\/p>\n “The U.S. and its Western allies have no credibility to lecture Iran on non-proliferation or international law while violating both, shielding the Israeli regime from accountability, and remaining silent on its nuclear arsenal,” the embassy said in a post shared on X.<\/p>\n “Their claimed concern for non-proliferation rings hollow when they remain silent on unlawful U.S.-Israeli regime attacks on Iran\u2019s peaceful, safeguarded nuclear facilities,” it added.<\/p>\n 16 hours agoTanker hit by projectile in Strait of Hormuz, triggering fire: UKMTO<\/p>\n A tanker crossing the Strait of Hormuz<\/a> was hit by an unknown projectile Thursday, causing a fire on board, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO<\/a>).<\/p>\n \u201cCrew have been reported safe, damage assessment and environmental impact is unknown at time of report,\u201d the centre said before adding that ships are advised to \u201ctransit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO, whilst authorities investigate.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n 16 hours agoOil prices jump amid US Middle East buildup, rising global fuel shortage fears<\/p>\n Oil prices rose Thursday and settled up more than $4 a barrel, according to Reuters,<\/a> amid news that Washington is deploying more troops and an aircraft carrier to the Middle East.<\/p>\n Washington is sending the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group and thousands of troops to the Middle East<\/a>, officials told Fox News.<\/p>\n China had also suspended oil product exports, increasing fears that global fuel shortages could worsen.<\/p>\n Diesel and other refined products are scarce following damage to refinery infrastructure in the Gulf and Russia, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n The new front-month December Brent crude futures contract settled at $102.31 a barrel, up 4.37%, or $4.28. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures finished at $92.87 a barrel, up 2.71%, or $2.45, the outlet reported.<\/p>\n Breaking News17 hours agoUS sending third aircraft carrier and second Marine Expeditionary Unit to Middle East: officials<\/p>\n The U.S. is sending the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East<\/a>, U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News on Thursday.<\/p>\n The ships are set to arrive in the region by the end of November, the officials said.<\/p>\n These new deployments will add about 10,000 sailors and Marines to the Middle East.<\/p>\n The USS Roosevelt will be the third aircraft carrier in the region, joining the USS George H.W. Bush, which arrived in April, and the USS George Washington, which arrived in mid-August to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln.<\/p>\n The USS Roosevelt left its homeport of San Diego<\/a> on Sunday, and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit deployed from San Diego on Monday along with the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group.<\/p>\n The Marine Expeditionary Unit and Amphibious Ready Group typically include about 4,200 Marines and sailors. The USS Roosevelt carrier strike group includes about 6,000 sailors.<\/p>\n Fox News\u2019 Liz Friden contributed to this report.<\/p>\n 17 hours agoTreasury cracks down on Iran sanctions-evasion network, major automakers<\/p>\n The Treasury Department<\/a> announced two actions Thursday targeting what it said is a shadow banking network used by Iran to evade sanctions, as well as companies tied to Iran’s automotive, rail, manufacturing and steel sectors.<\/p>\n The first action targets the A7 Network<\/a>, a Russia-linked shadow banking network that the Treasury says Iran has used to evade sanctions and move money through the international financial system.<\/p>\n \u201cTreasury is dismantling the financial infrastructure that allows Iran and other adversaries to evade sanctions, move illicit funds, and undermine the integrity of the global financial system,\u201d Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent<\/a> said in a statement.<\/p>\n The Treasury also sanctioned companies and individuals tied to Iran\u2019s automotive, rail, manufacturing and steel sectors<\/a>, including Iran Khodro Company, or IKCO, and SAIPA Iranian Automobile Manufacturing Company, the country\u2019s two largest automakers.<\/p>\n The Treasury said IKCO has close ties to the IRGC. It also sanctioned Niroo Motor Shiraz Industrial and Manufacturing Company, which it said uses prison labor and worked closely with the IRGC and Basij.<\/p>\n 17 hours agoTrump says Iran nuclear threat wiped out \u2018in one night,\u2019 weeks ahead of schedule<\/p>\n President Donald Trump<\/a> said Thursday that the Iran nuclear threat was obliterated in \u201cone night\u201d and that it happened well ahead of schedule.<\/p>\n \u201cI stated, numerous times, that it would take 4-6 weeks to get rid of THE IRAN NUCLEAR THREAT, and I did it in one night!\u201d Trump said in a post shared on Truth Social.<\/p>\n \u201cThe rest of the time is just to make sure it stays that way,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n 17 hours agoTrump echoes Lara Trump warning that Iran war could cost Republicans in midterms<\/p>\n President Donald Trump<\/a> acknowledged Thursday that the seven-month-old war with Iran could hurt Republicans\u2019 chances in the upcoming midterm elections, echoing remarks from his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s possible,\u201d Trump told reporters before departing for stops in Texas and Oklahoma.<\/p>\n \u201cIt should help because Iran<\/a> will not have a nuclear weapon,\u201d the president added.<\/p>\n \u201cSo when you say, \u2018Is it OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon?\u2019 I would say 100% of the people say no, including worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s comments followed remarks by Lara Trump<\/a> during an interview with British journalist Harry Cole<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it could cost him these midterms,\u201d Lara Trump said of the war before adding that the president \u201chates the way that things have gone with Iran\u201d and wished \u201cthings had happened more swiftly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Iranians are absolutely holding out until these midterm elections,\u201d she also said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey want to do everything they can to damage this president\u2019s hopes of these midterms going his way because they think it\u2019s going to give them an advantage,\u201d Lara added.<\/p>\n 19 hours agoUK-Iranian dual national arrested on suspicion of plotting terror attack in UK<\/p>\n British counterterrorism police<\/a> arrested a dual U.K.-Iranian national Thursday on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack following a security incident near a U.S.-run military air base in England that authorities are investigating for possible foreign-state involvement.<\/p>\n The 25-year-old man was arrested in London, where police also searched two properties, according to The Associated Press.<\/p>\n The arrest is the latest development in an investigation surrounding RAF Fairford, a base about 100 miles west of London that has been used by American bombers during the war with Iran.<\/p>\n Five British men in their 20s were arrested Sunday near the base on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offenses. Police said gasoline was discovered in three vans linked to the suspects, but no explosives were found. The five men have since been released on bail.<\/p>\n British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there are \u201cstrong indications\u201d Iran played a role in the incident, while Tehran has denied involvement.<\/p>\n Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for counterterrorism policing, said investigators are examining \u201call possible angles \u2014 including possible foreign state involvement.\u201d<\/p>\n President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have criticized the decision to release the five initial suspects on bail.<\/p>\n The Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/p>\n Breaking News19 hours agoTrump tells Fox News that Iran may be linked FlyDubai pilot<\/p>\n President Donald Trump on Thursday told Fox News\u2019 senior White House<\/a> correspondent Peter Doocy that Iran may be linked to the FlyDubai pilot who is accused of stabbing his co-pilot in the cockpit and attempting to crash the plane with 174 people \u2014 mostly Israelis \u2014 on board.<\/p>\n When Doocy asked Trump 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.<\/p>\n “I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing is yes, but we’re working on it right now,” Trump said.<\/p>\n Doocy then asked whether the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) may have put the suspect on the flight or if he could have been radicalized in some other way.<\/p>\n Trump answered: “It could have been. Yeah.”<\/p>\n 19 hours agoHezbollah received $157M in weapons in 2024, mostly from 1 nation, report says<\/p>\n Hezbollah terrorists in Yemen received $157 million worth of weapons in 2024<\/a>, most of it given freely by Iran, according to a new report from the Israeli nonprofit Center for Research of Terror Financing (CENTEF).<\/p>\n The report, titled “Hezbollah Financial Statements,” relied on open-source data as well as known valuations of Hezbollah’s military assets, according to the Jerusalem Post.<\/p>\n The report found that Hezbollah spent just $28 million on procuring weapons, and those were limited to small arms, ammunition, drone components, dual-use equipment and equipment obtained through its international procurement networks.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, CENTEF said Iran provided roughly $129 million worth of weapons as an in-kind grant, including rockets, missiles, drones, ATGMs, air-defense systems, ammunition, launchers, naval equipment and IED-related assets.<\/p>\n The CENTEF analysis found that Hezbollah acquired 4,000 short-range Katyusha rockets, 400 Falaq-1 and 2 rockets, and 120 Burkan rockets in 2024. The short-range rockets are estimated to cost $300 per unit, while the Burkan rockets are estimated to cost $400.<\/p>\n This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom.<\/p>\n 20 hours agoBrent crude tops $100 after China reportedly halts fuel exports<\/p>\n Oil prices surged Thursday after Chinese<\/a> refiners reportedly suspended exports of fuel products to most overseas markets, adding new pressure to global energy supplies already strained by the war with Iran.<\/p>\n Brent crude, the international benchmark, climbed about 3% to roughly $101 per barrel late Thursday morning, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose nearly 2% to about $92 per barrel.<\/p>\n Chinese refiners have suspended exports of oil products to destinations outside Hong Kong and Macau until further notice, Reuters reported, citing four people briefed on the matter.<\/p>\n The move could further tighten global fuel supplies already constrained by the wars in Iran and Ukraine. Reuters reported that a global diesel shortage is unlikely to ease before next year, according to storage-market indicators and industry participants.<\/p>\n The latest increase in oil prices also comes amid broader concerns that elevated energy costs could add to inflationary pressures.<\/p>\n 22 hours agoUS waives rights conditions on $320M in Egypt military aid after Iran war help<\/p>\n The State Department<\/a> waived human rights conditions for $320 million in military aid to Egypt, citing Cairo\u2019s \u201chelpful role\u201d after the start of the U.S. war with Iran, according to a letter to lawmakers obtained by Reuters.<\/p>\n Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a> \u201chas made a determination to waive the certification requirement with respect to $320 million in FY 2025 Foreign Military Financing for Egypt,\u201d according to the Sept. 21 letter.<\/p>\n An accompanying memo said the aid was \u201cnecessary for counterterrorism, border security, or nonproliferation programs or is otherwise important to the national security interest of the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExercising this waiver authority is essential for the U.S.-Egypt relationship<\/a> and U.S. national security priorities, particularly in light of Egypt’s helpful role following Operation Epic Fury,\u201d the memo said.<\/p>\n Operation Epic Fury<\/a> is the U.S. military name for the campaign against Iran launched alongside Israel in late February.<\/p>\n Egypt receives about $1.3 billion a year in U.S. military aid, though portions of that support have previously been withheld over human rights and democracy concerns.<\/p>\n Reuters contributed to this report.<\/p>\n Breaking News22 hours agoIran denies link to suspected plot against US airbase in UK, recalls UK ambassador<\/p>\n Iran denied accusations linking Tehran to a suspected plot<\/a> against a U.S.-used airbase in Britain and summoned the British ambassador over the matter, state media reported Thursday.<\/p>\n British Prime Minister Andy Burnham<\/a> said Wednesday that the U.K. had \u201cstrong indications\u201d Iran was involved in the suspected plot against the airbase, which is used by U.S. forces to strike Iran.<\/p>\n Iran called the accusations baseless, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n The diplomatic flare-up comes as Tehran faces mounting pressure over suspected threats beyond the Middle East while the Iran war continues to strain U.S., British and allied military operations.<\/p>\n Iran summoned the British ambassador to the Foreign Ministry over what state media described as \u201caccusations\u201d related to the suspected attack plot.<\/p>\n Reuters contributed to this report.<\/p>\n 22 hours agoState Department blasts IRGC letter as \u2018desperate\u2019 lie to Americans<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guard Corps<\/a> are trying to mislead Americans with its letter from the IRGC to the American people, a State Department spokesman said on background Wednesday, calling it a \u201cdesperate\u201d act by Tehran\u2019s regime.<\/p>\n The IRGC\u2019s \u201cdesperate effort to lie to the American people\u201d does not change the facts about Iran\u2019s conduct at home and abroad, the source said.<\/p>\n \u201cIran, the leading state sponsor of terrorism<\/a>, continues to choose terror over prosperity, and ordinary Iranians pay the price,\u201d the source added.<\/p>\n The official said U.S. operations have significantly damaged Iran\u2019s defense industrial base, navy and air force, while also shattering its missiles, missile launchers and vessels.<\/p>\n The spokesman also said ships continue to transit the Strait of Hormuz<\/a> under the guard of American forces, despite what the official described as Iran\u2019s \u201creckless disregard for freedom of navigation and international commerce.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis false letter, the Iranian regime’s latest act of desperation, is nothing more than a smoke screen, and the world sees it for what it is,\u201d the spokesman concluded.<\/p>\n 23 hours agoNetanyahu: FlyDubai attacker passed ‘loophole’ on no pilots to Israel from non-diplomatic countries<\/p>\n The FlyDubai co-pilot attacker passed “loophole” that restricts pilots flying to Israel cannot be from countries with which do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> said Thursday morning. <\/p>\n “Well, he was an Omani national and we have constraints that say you can’t have pilots from countries that don’t have diplomatic relations with Israel,” Netanyahu told “Fox & Friends”<\/a> in an exclusive interview. “So obviously he was able to go through that. So there’s a loophole there: How to make sure that we screened pilots in advance. <\/p>\n “And that’s what we did, by the way, with the pilots that came to take our passengers from Saudi Arabia to Israel: We checked their background, but obviously there was a loophole here, and we’re taking care of that, among other things.”<\/p>\n Netanyahu said Israel is getting “full cooperation of the Emirati government.”<\/p>\n “So we’re both interested in making sure this doesn’t happen again, and it might be attempted again because we have indications that Iran and its proxies are trying to conduct attacks against Israel and Israelis right now in this election season,” Netanyahu continued.<\/p>\n “And, therefore, I asked Israelis to be on special alert, but we’re going to we’re going to probably draw a lot of, conclusions from this investigation and, tighten up the security. <\/p>\n “We always try to do that. We do a pretty good job.”<\/p>\n 23 hours agoIRGC claims it killed 6 ‘terrorists’ in southeast<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards<\/a> killed six members of what state media described as a \u201cterrorist\u201d group Thursday in the country\u2019s restive southeast.<\/p>\n The killings took place in Zahedan, the capital of Sistan-Baluchistan province, an impoverished region bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan that is frequently hit by clashes involving security forces, armed groups, Sunni militants and separatists.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s state-run IRNA news agency said security forces discovered and confiscated explosive packages, but did not identify the six “terrorists” killed<\/a> or provide further details.<\/p>\n Tehran has accused some armed groups in the region of ties to foreign powers and involvement in cross-border smuggling.<\/p>\n Haalvsh, a human rights group that monitors Sistan-Baluchistan, said fighting between military and security forces and armed individuals began Thursday morning.<\/p>\n The report comes as Iran reviews a U.S. response to its latest proposal to revive the collapsed Gulf ceasefire and prepares for the possible resumption of large-scale U.S. military attacks after seven months of conflict that began with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.<\/p>\n Reuters contributed to this report.<\/p>\n 23 hours agoNetanyahu: ‘Islamist radical indoctrination’ in FlyDubai attacker’s history<\/p>\n Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> says early investigations have revealed an “Islamist radical indoctrination” in the FlyDubai co-pilot’s history.<\/p>\n “And as, you know, the attacker, the copilot who attacked the captain, is now being interrogated, but here’s what we do know: First, we know that, he underwent Islamist radical indoctrination,” Netanyahu told “Fox & Friends<\/a>” in an exclusive interview Thursday morning. <\/p>\n “That appears to be something we’re gathering from the information \u2013 his personal information.”<\/p>\n Netanyahu said it was clear that the co-pilot was suicidal, but it will be known “within a matter of days” whether the attacker had confirmable ties to Iran.<\/p>\n “If you couple that with the what I just told you about the Islamist tendencies, that radicalization that are found in his background, I think that’s \u2013 that’ll give us the a pretty good clue,” he said. “But again, I don’t make final conclusions yet. But that’s the indications we have now.”<\/p>\n 23 hours agoNetanyahu: Will know ‘within matter of days’ whether FlyDubai attacker had Iran ties<\/p>\n Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> said officials are investigating whether a co-pilot believed to have been radicalized had any connection to Iran, but cautioned that it was too early to draw conclusions.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re looking into that, so I can’t draw conclusions yet,\u201d Netanyahu told “Fox & Friends<\/a>” in an exclusive interview Thursday morning. \u201cIt looks like he had been radicalized.\u201d<\/p>\n Netanyahu said investigators were still examining whether the co-pilot had ties to Iran or anyone else.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it’s too early to say whether he had any connections with Iran or with anyone else,\u201d Netanyahu said. \u201cIt’s too early to say that, but we’ll be able to say that very definitely \u2013 I think very fairly definitively, not fairly \u2013 I think we’ll be able to say definitively within a matter of days.\u201d<\/p>\n Netanyahu said it was clear that the co-pilot was suicidal.<\/p>\n “If you couple that with the what I just told you about the Islamist tendencies, that radicalization that are found in his background, I think that’s \u2013 that’ll give us the a pretty good clue,” he said. “But again, I don’t make final conclusions yet. But that’s the indications we have now.”<\/p>\n October 1Iran\u2019s president says Tehran won\u2019t \u2018shy away from dialogue\u2019 as war pressure fuels unrest fears<\/p>\n Iranian leaders are increasingly concerned about domestic unrest as war pressure builds, but Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian<\/a> claimed Tehran would never \u201cshy away from dialogue,\u201d Tasnim reported.<\/p>\n “We have never shied away from talks, and we never will, although the United States has targeted our country three times despite having signed an agreement,” the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted him as saying.<\/p>\n Despite the claim of diplomatic interest, Pezeshkian played the victim last week at the United Nations General Assembly.<\/p>\n That came days before a seven-day peace proposal was rejected by President Donald Trump<\/a> and a reported attack on a U.K. base with ties to a “foreign actor” and a radical Omani was restrained in trying to down a commercial airliner in Israel.<\/p>\n A former senior reformist Iranian official told Reuters that the leadership fears a repeat of the nationwide protests that erupted in January, when worsening economic conditions triggered unrest across the country.<\/p>\n \u201cFacing unrest at home \u2013 while the system is under U.S. pressure and bombs \u2013 could pose a very serious challenge to the legitimacy of the ruling establishment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Authorities crushed the January demonstrations, killing thousands of protesters, President Donald Trump has reminded Iranian apologists. <\/p>\n Reuters contributed to this report.<\/p>\n October 1Analyst: Iran ‘cannot afford continuation’ of blockade, ‘escalation at this point is conceivable’<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s leadership is weighing whether its economy can withstand a prolonged confrontation under a U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz<\/a> that has cut off oil exports, Reuters reported Thursday.<\/p>\n Years of sanctions, wartime pressure and mounting hardship have placed growing strain on ordinary Iranians \u2014 and on Tehran\u2019s clerical rulers.<\/p>\n \u201cIran cannot afford continuation of U.S. blockades that could be a major game changer essentially taking the oxygen out of the lungs of the regime … escalation at this point is conceivable,\u201d said Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran program at the Middle East Institute.<\/p>\n The pressure comes as Iran weighs both diplomacy and escalation<\/a>, with commanders preparing a wider response if the U.S. renews large-scale attacks.<\/p>\n Reuters contributed to this report.<\/p>\n October 1Iran commanders reportedly readying escalation to de-escalate<\/p>\n Iran is preparing a broader and more forceful response if the United States launches another major attack<\/a>, Reuters reported Thursday, even as Tehran hopes to keep a diplomatic channel open.<\/p>\n \u201cThey seem determined not to respond symbolically to a symbolic move and instead to escalate in the hope of reestablishing deterrence,\u201d said Hamidreza Azizi, a senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group.<\/p>\n Commanders are reviewing plans to expand potential targets beyond U.S.-linked assets to countries that support American military operations \u2014 and possibly to locations outside the Middle East, sources told Reuters.<\/p>\n Iran has instructed allied groups in Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq to be ready to support Tehran if the U.S. resumes large-scale attacks, two Iranian officials told Reuters.<\/p>\n The guidance was to prepare for a coordinated response stretching \u201cfrom the Strait of Hormuz to U.S. interests in the region and outside the Middle East,\u201d the officials said.<\/p>\n The planning comes after seven months of conflict that began with U.S.-Israeli attacks Feb. 28. A ceasefire ended the 40-day war<\/a> in April, but hostilities have continued sporadically since.<\/p>\n Reuters contributed to this report.<\/p>\n October 1US pushes France, Germany to release diesel as Iran war strains fuel markets<\/p>\n The Trump administration has told France and Germany to release emergency diesel or risk a possible U.S. diesel export ban<\/a>, Reuters reported Thursday, as Washington looks to ease global fuel prices during the Iran war.<\/p>\n The U.S. wants the European Union to release 120 million barrels of diesel over the next six months<\/a>, according to one source close to the discussions.<\/p>\n The Trump administration has been particularly frustrated with France and Germany, which U.S. officials believe have not fully followed through on earlier commitments to release emergency oil and petroleum stocks.<\/p>\n “It is in Europe\u2019s best interest to work with the United States as we pursue multiple pathways to boost the supply of refined products and lower costs for consumers,” a U.S. official told Reuters.<\/p>\n U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told reporters Wednesday that the administration expected announcements soon from Europe about new diesel supplies.<\/p>\n “We’ve \u200blost some diesel \u200bexports from the \u2060Middle East, although we’re restoring those, and we’ve lost diesel exports from China,” he said. “So that’s a lot \u200bof interruptions.”<\/p>\n The demand underscores the widening economic fallout from the conflict, which has disrupted energy flows and intensified pressure on governments to stabilize fuel markets.<\/p>\n Three people close to the discussions told Reuters that the administration has warned Germany and France to draw down emergency diesel inventories or face the prospect of restrictions on U.S. diesel exports.<\/p>\n The pressure campaign comes as diesel markets remain tight globally, with the war adding stress to already strained supply chains and threatening higher costs for consumers<\/a>, shippers and industry.<\/p>\n Reuters contributed to this report.<\/p>\n October 1EU Commission, UK, France, Italy, Ireland in call on diesel stock releases<\/p>\n The EU Commission, France, Italy, Ireland and Britain are holding a call on the possible need to release diesel stocks<\/a>, an EU official said Thursday.<\/p>\n A Commission spokesperson had earlier declined direct comment on reports the Trump administration has told Germany and France to draw down emergency diesel inventories to help to ease global fuel prices or face a potential US diesel export ban.<\/p>\n Reuters contributed to this report.<\/p>\n October 1Chinese refiners pause October fuel exports as Iran war squeezes global markets<\/p>\n Chinese refiners have suspended oil product exports<\/a> for October as Beijing moves to protect domestic fuel stocks, Reuters reported Thursday.<\/p>\n The move would further tighten global markets already strained by the Iran war.<\/p>\n China began its weeklong holiday without giving major refiners approval to export fuel products beyond Hong Kong and Macau in October, four sources told Reuters. It was unclear whether Beijing would allow exports to resume after the holiday ends Oct. 7.<\/p>\n The pause affects a major refining hub at a moment when global markets are already grappling with lost supplies tied to the Iran war and Ukrainian strikes on Russian refining infrastructure.<\/p>\n \u201cIt highlights that the government\u2019s focus remains domestic supply security. International markets are an afterthought,\u201d said Michal Meidan, head of China energy research at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.<\/p>\n State oil giant PetroChina canceled some gasoline and jet fuel shipments<\/a> planned for October, while Zhejiang Petrochemical did not schedule oil product shipments during the holiday week, sources told Reuters.<\/p>\n Beijing had restricted fuel exports in March after the Iran war disrupted Middle Eastern crude supplies, then eased those curbs in July. But falling domestic inventories and uncertainty over crude availability have pushed China back toward stockpiling.<\/p>\n The move follows President Donald Trump\u2019s recent appeal to Chinese President Xi Jinping to help stabilize global fuel supplies. It also comes as Washington presses Europe to release emergency diesel stocks, warning France and Germany they could face a possible U.S. diesel export ban if they refuse.<\/p>\n Reuters contributed to this report.<\/p>\n October 1French military helping ships through Bab El-Mandeb Strait<\/p>\n A French warship escorted 10 ships through Bab El-Mandeb Strait<\/a> over last week as part of the EU’s Red Sea mission, an army spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday.<\/p>\n France is still clarifying with Saudi partners the requirements for a military mission to secure energy infrastructure, the spokesperson Xavier Rival added.<\/p>\n Reuters contributed to this report.<\/p>\n October 1Iran leaders ‘overstayed their welcome’ after peace talks stalled, sources say<\/p>\n Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a> reportedly ordered Iran\u2019s foreign minister and his delegation to leave New York after determining they had \u201coverstayed their welcome\u201d following the U.N. General Assembly.<\/p>\n Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had remained in New York after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian<\/a> departed last week, ostensibly to take part in indirect talks with the U.S. on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, ending the war and reviving nuclear negotiations.<\/p>\n