3rd Aircraft Carrier, 10,000 Troops Head To Middle East After Trump's Warning

The United States is sending a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East along with another 9,000 to 10,000 more troops after US President Donald Trump warned Iran of possible new strikes after the midterm elections on November 3.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group carrying the service members would arrive in the Middle East by the end of November. Currently two other aircraft carriers are stationed in the region -- the USS George HW Bush and the USS George Washington. 

Although the USS George Washington is usually deployed in the Pacific Ocean, it has reached the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln after its long deployment.

The deployment would bring the US naval presence to an unusually high number of more than 20,000 sailors and Marines as well as hundreds of aircraft.

Trump Rejects Iran's Peace Proposal

Trump rejected Iran's peace proposal that was announced by the Islamic Republic last week at the UN General Assembly in New York. Iran said that the proposal was transmitted to the US through Qatari mediators.

READ | "They Overplayed Their Hand": Trump Says Talks With Iran To Resume Next Week

"They want to make a deal to open the Hormuz Strait immediately because they're losing so badly," Trump told reporters at the White House.

Trump Suggests Iran Linked To flydubai Incident 

While speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump also suggested that Iran is linked to the co-pilot who stabbed the captain and tried to crash an Israel-bound flight.

When asked if there was a connection between the pilot who attacked the captain and Iran, Trump said, "I would say the answer, based on what I'm hearing, is 'yes,' but we're working on it right now."

On whether the US would retaliate against Iran if it was responsible for the attack, Trump replied, "Oh, they'll be hit very hard, don't worry."

The reporter then asked if the man might have been placed on the plane by the IRGC, or radicalised in some other way before deciding to bring the aircraft down. "Could have been, yeah," Trump replied.

There has been no official evidence of Iranian involvement yet.