“There is no information that can rule out or confirm an Iranian connection to or involvement with” Omani terrorist co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami, an Israeli official said.
Flydubai plane seen at the Ben-Gurion Airport, outside of Tel Aviv, September 30, 2026.(photo credit: YOSSI ALONI/FLASH90)ByAMIR BOHBOT OCTOBER 6, 2026 09:55Updated: The Mossad is in direct contact with its counterparts in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, but even information transferred to Israel has not made it possible to determine clearly whether Omani terrorist pilot Hamam al-Hammami is concealing sensitive information, Walla learned on Monday.
“At this stage, we are in the dark,” an official familiar with the matter said. “There is no information that can rule out or confirm an Iranian connection to or involvement with the co-pilot. At this stage, the defense establishment assesses that he acted alone.”
The Mossad, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), and IDF Military Intelligence are currently working to gather information on the case in an effort to build a complete picture surrounding the terrorist pilot and examine the potential existence of other pilots with a similar profile.
Criticism has continued within the defense establishment, particularly among IDF officials, over the fact that responsibility has still not been assigned for the serious security failure, which could have ended in a national disaster and triggered a chain of actions that would have led to regional escalation.
A flydubai plane carrying passengers from flight FZ1073 arrives at Ben-Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, after a suspected terror attack aboard their original flight from Dubai to Israel forced an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, September 30, 2026. (credit: YOSSI ALONI/FLASH90)
IDF calls for government responsibility as intelligence screening plan takes shape
The IDF maintains that responsibility for the issue must rest with a government ministry.
The defense establishment has already begun developing the view that the intelligence community should establish a framework that would, in the future, be responsible for reviewing lists of pilots, flight attendants, and passengers traveling to Israel.
Defense officials praised Mossad chief Roman Gofman for taking a clear position on the issue and adopting a broad approach to responsibility. This comes alongside additional processes to reorganize the Mossad’s work across various arenas, deepen cooperation, and plan offensive operations.
Gofman also believes that ties with the IDF in general, and with the General Staff in particular, should be strengthened and expanded.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and Gen. Dan Caine all attended the meeting, according to Axios.
US Vice President JD Vance (L) welcomes US President Donald Trump to the stage on the second day of the 2026 Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center on September 10, 2026 in Dallas, Texas.(photo credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
ByJERUSALEM POST STAFFUpdated: US President Donald Trump attended a secret meeting on Iran and Yemen chaired by US Vice President JD Vance and attended by top administration national security aides at Camp David on Friday, Axios reported.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine all attended the meeting, according to the report.
The report cited three US officials, who told Axios that “things were decided, or at least deeply discussed.”
The White House refused to respond to an Axios request for comment.
US, Saudi Arabia prepare for increased military activity in region
The high-level, closed-door meeting comes amid reports that both the US military and Saudi Arabia are preparing to step up military activity in the region.
A satellite imagery shows Bab el Mandeb Strait, as Iran threatens using Yemen’s Houthi allies to shut the Bab el-Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea Wednesday, 15th July 2026 (credit: NASA Worldview/Handout via REUTERS)The US military is considering a major expansion of its naval presence in the Middle East in the coming weeks, including the deployment of three aircraft carriers and accompanying warships to provide greater operational flexibility, The Washington Post reported Friday.
The report said the buildup could also include an additional 20,000 troops, on top of the roughly 50,000 already deployed in the region, as well as up to 150 fighter jets and additional destroyers to defend against missile attacks.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, is considering a significant military offensive against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen aimed at breaking the group’s hold on key coastal areas and securing Red Sea shipping routes, Reuters reported Friday.
Saudi objective to regain control of Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait
The planned operation is intended to reverse gains made by the Houthis last month, when they advanced along the coast and seized control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, according to people familiar with the plans, including Gulf and Yemeni officials and Western diplomats.
The operation, which could be launched in the coming weeks, would be led on the ground by Yemeni forces overseen by Riyadh and supported by Saudi airstrikes, according to six people familiar with the preparations.
The US and its partners said they would strengthen intelligence sharing to prevent Iran from acquiring or transferring technology linked to the development of weapons of mass
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) conducts US blockade operations related to the Strait of Hormuz on April 16, 2026.(photo credit: Handout Photo by the U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
ByIDAN KWELLERUpdated: The United States and countries participating in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) pledged on Friday to step up efforts to prevent the transfer of weapons, materials, equipment, and technologies to and from Iran that could support the development of weapons of mass destruction and delivery systems, including unmanned aerial vehicles.
The countries issued a joint statement marking one year since the reinstatement of six UN Security Council resolutions imposing restrictions on Iran under the snapback mechanism.
Among the measures announced were closer intelligence-sharing between participating countries, streamlined procedures for transferring information, and interdiction and prevention measures targeting Iranian proliferation activity.
“We call on Iran to return to fulfilling its nonproliferation commitments and to cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency,” the statement said.
US President Donald Trump speaks as he hosts a Hispanic Heritage Month reception in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., US, September 30, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST)
Trump: ‘Very soon, you’re going to see things happening’
The declaration of increased cooperation followed remarks by US President Donald Trump this week that “things will happen in Iran very soon,” as he claimed Tehran’s military and economic capabilities had been severely damaged during six months of war.
“Very soon, you’re going to see things happening,” Trump said, later declaring that the United States would “win this war very quickly, one way or another.”
“In Iran, we’ve been there for six months, with 18 dead. By the way, even one is too many, but they lost 4,500,” Trump said. “We lost 18, and very soon you’re going to see things happening, very soon,” he continued. “But you have a country there that’s been almost completely destroyed. Their economy is in bad shape. They have inflation of more than 300%.”
Trump claims near-total control of Strait of Hormuz
Trump later addressed developments in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that Washington had achieved near-total control of the area.
“Over the last week in the Strait of Hormuz, where we have almost total control, I would say total control, but every once in a while they put a mine there and disrupt things a little,” he said. “But we have, in effect, almost total control of the Strait of Hormuz.”
Trump also claimed that the volume of oil passing through the strait over the previous three days had reached unprecedented levels.
“And in fact, over the last three days, more oil has come out of the Strait of Hormuz than at any other point in history,” he said. “I’m not just talking about the period since the war. I’m saying at any point in history. There was pent-up demand that had accumulated.”
