Trump warns of ‘far worse’ strike as US armada heads toward Iran

The cell carried out reconnaissance around the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey and used commercial activity as cover, the paper said.

Investigators said the network was directed by Iranian intelligence officers Najaf Rostami, known as “Haji,” and Mahdi Yekeh Dehghan, referred to as “Doctor,” according to Daily Sabah.

The investigation found that one of the suspects, Iranian national Ashkan Jalali, based in Ankara, planned the transfer of armed unmanned aerial vehicles from Turkey to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Greek Cypriot administration through companies he owned, Bulaq Robotics and Arete Industries, it said.

Jalali and another suspect, Alican Koç, attended specialized drone training sessions in Iran in August and September 2025, according to the report.

Police detained defense industry company owners Erhan Ergelen and Taner Özcan, textile businessperson Cemal Beyaz, Remzi Beyaz, Koç and Jalali in Istanbul-centered raids. An Istanbul court later arrested all six on charges of “obtaining confidential state information for political or military espionage,” Daily Sabah said.

The paper said Ergelen and Özcan traveled to Iran in October 2025 and played roles in drone shipment plans to Greek Cyprus. In testimony, Remzi Beyaz said he was offered money to take part in assassination plots targeting Iranian dissidents.

The network used encrypted messaging under the code name “Güvercin” and financed its activities by disguising operations as commercial drone trade, the paper added.

Iran’s internet shutdown has cut online business sales by as much as 80%, the head of the union of virtual businesses said on Wednesday, warning of serious damage to the digital economy.

“Many online businesses have seen their sales fall by up to 80%,” Reza Olfatnasab said.

About one million people earn a living directly through sales on social media platforms and are now in limbo, he said.

“If this situation continues, it can really push the digital economy toward destruction,” Olfatnasab added.

Dutch airline KLM said on Wednesday it canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice, backtracking on plans to resume services due to security concerns.

“Based on the current security situation and operational feasibility, it has been decided at this stage not to resume flights to Tel Aviv,” KLM said in a statement.

The airline had suspended flights last weekend amid fears of renewed conflict involving Iran and had planned a limited restart on Wednesday.

“KLM’s highest priority is the safety of passengers and crews,” it said, adding it would resume flights once it was “safe and responsible” to do so.

KLM said it has restarted flights to other regional destinations, including Riyadh and Dammam, and is studying a possible return to Dubai later this week.

Mohammad Eslami, the head of the atomic energy organization of Iran, said Iran had not breached its commitments and accused the agency of taking politicized positions, according to remarks carried by Iranian media.

He said the IAEA should act strictly within its statutory mandate, amid heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear program.

US President Donald Trump ordered strikes on three of Iran’s main nuclear sites in June, calling the program “obliterated,” but experts dispute that, saying bombs likely failed to penetrate underground halls, and with UN inspectors barred, the true damage is uncertain.

Iran’s rial hit a fresh record low on the unofficial market on Wednesday, with the US dollar rising above 1.55 million rials, traders said.

The fall extended sharp swings since late December, when the weaker rial helped spark protests in Tehran and other cities.

Years of sanctions and high inflation have hurt Iran’s economy, pushing many Iranians to buy dollars and gold during periods of political and economic stress.