President Donald Trump suggested Thursday that Iran may have played a role in the attempted destruction of a FlyDubai passenger jet bound for Israel, warning that Tehran would face severe consequences if investigators establish its involvement.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump was asked whether intelligence officials had uncovered any connection between Iran and the co-pilot accused of stabbing the aircraft’s captain and attempting to crash the plane.
“We’re working on it right now,” Trump said.
“I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is yes, but we’re working on it right now,” the president added, stopping short of confirming Iranian involvement.
Asked whether the United States would retaliate if Tehran was found responsible, Trump delivered a warning.
“Oh they’ll be hit, very hard, don’t worry,” he said. “You just ask them. They know what happened. They’ll be hit very hard.”
The president’s remarks came one day after FlyDubai Flight FZ1073, carrying 174 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Saudi Arabia following a violent confrontation inside the cockpit. According to Israeli officials and passenger accounts, the co-pilot stabbed Indian captain Smit Machchhar before apparently attempting to send the Boeing 737 into a catastrophic dive.
Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers to enter and overpower the suspected attacker. Two off-duty pilots traveling aboard the aircraft subsequently assumed control and safely landed the jet in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Flight-tracking data indicated that the aircraft plunged more than 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds during the incident.
Trump previously disclosed that he had spoken extensively with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the attack, describing the circumstances surrounding the attempted crash as extraordinary.
“I did speak to Bibi Netanyahu at length about this event,” Trump told reporters Wednesday.
The president said the co-pilot was possibly a terrorist but acknowledged that investigators had not established his motive.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, said Thursday that Israeli authorities believe the suspect underwent radical Islamist indoctrination, although he acknowledged that the investigation remains incomplete. The Israeli leader said investigators were examining whether the attacker had accomplices and whether Iran or another organization directed the attempted crash.
“We’ll get to the root of this attacker, whether he had accomplices, whether Iran was behind it. I think we’ll find out very soon,” Netanyahu said.
However, two Israeli security officials said that their initial assessment suggested the co-pilot likely acted alone. They said investigators had not identified evidence of Iranian involvement.
The suspect, identified by Israeli officials as an Omani national, remains in Saudi custody as authorities work to determine what motivated the attack. The United Arab Emirates has also launched an investigation into the incident, examining whether the attempted crash involved terrorism, advance planning or instructions from outside parties. Authorities from Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the United States and Oman are participating in efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack.
The incident comes as tensions between Washington and Tehran remain elevated amid the ongoing regional conflict and disputes over Iran’s nuclear program and maritime activity in the Strait of Hormuz. For now, investigators have not established that Iran ordered, financed or otherwise participated in the attempted attack.
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[ H/T Trending Politics ]
