Trump says Iran bombed drug factories as war intensifies
At a rally in Oklahoma, Trump linked Iran's nuclear program to drug production and warned of retaliation, while a crude oil tanker was struck near Oman.
By Felo News Desk · Published
President Donald Trump asserted at a rally in Durant, Oklahoma, that Iran’s recent air strikes were aimed at "drug factories" as part of Operation Midnight Hammer, adding new justification for the ongoing war that began in February.
What happened
Trump spoke to supporters at about 1 a.m. local time, describing a night‑time bombing run that he said targeted facilities producing both nuclear material and illicit drugs. He claimed the aircraft flew from Missouri, descended without moonlight, and dropped bombs directly into the factories. In the same address, he warned that if early indications linking Iran to a recent Israeli plane‑hijacking attempt are confirmed, the United States will hit Iran "very hard."
Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that an unidentified projectile struck a crude‑oil tanker off the coast of Oman. The incident caused no crew injuries and no reported environmental damage, and vessels in the area were advised to proceed with caution.
What the reports add
Both Independent articles detail Trump’s rally remarks, but the later version (source 2) adds that senior US national‑security officials met secretly at Camp David to discuss next steps in the Iran war and the parallel Saudi‑Houthi conflict in Yemen. The meeting was chaired by Vice President Vance and included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
What was said
"They went from Missouri and then at one o’clock in the morning, with no moon, dark as can be, these unbelievable machines led by the most incredible pilots in the world, they unloaded every single bomb, went right down air chutes into this, uh, drug factories, really," Trump told the crowd, as reported by the Independent.
He added, "That’s what they were doing. They were nuclear and drugs. They were doing drugs, but they were doing the nuclear."
Later, Trump warned reporters, "Oh, they’ll be hit, very hard, don’t worry," if Iran’s link to the hijacking attempt is confirmed.
How it came about
The war began in late February with Operation Epic Fury, and Trump has repeatedly framed US involvement as a pre‑emptive move to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Earlier Felo coverage noted his September threat to "annihilate" Iran at the UN (trump-threatens-iran-un) and his statement that a decision on the war would come soon (trump-iran-war-decision). The recent claim about drug factories adds a new dimension to his justification, while the Camp David meeting signals continued high‑level US deliberation on the conflict’s next phase.
Key facts
- Trump claimed Iran's Operation Midnight Hammer bombed drug factories. (independent.co.uk)
- A crude oil tanker was struck by an unknown projectile off Oman, with no crew injuries. (independent.co.uk)
- US senior officials met at Camp David to discuss the Iran war and Yemen conflict. (independent.co.uk)
Timeline
- 2026-02-28 — Operation Epic Fury launched, starting the US‑Iran war.
- 2026-09-22 — Trump threatened to annihilate Iran at the UN.
- 2026-09-30 — US officials reportedly responded to Iran's cease‑fire proposal.
What we don't know yet
- Name of the tanker struck off Oman
- Exact nature of the projectile
