Trump threatens Iran over flydubai attack

US President Donald Trump on Thursday vowed to hit Iran “very hard” if Tehran is found to be linked to the FlyDubai incident involving a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight that was diverted to Saudi Arabia.

Asked by reporters whether the United States would consider retaliation against Iran if it was connected to the incident, Trump said: “They’ll be hit very hard, don’t worry.”

Trump said he had heard indications that Iran could be involved but added that the matter was still under review.

“I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is yes, but we’re working on it right now,” Trump told reporters at the White House when asked whether Iran was involved.

The comments followed the emergency landing of FlyDubai flight FZ1073, which was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv before it diverted to the Saudi city of Tabuk.
FlyDubai said an “altercation occurred in the flight deck” and that crew members intervened to secure the aircraft before it was safely diverted.

The airline later suspended flights to and from Israel while authorities continue investigating the incident.

Trump’s warning came as he again claimed success in targeting Iran’s nuclear program during the ongoing regional war.

“I stated, numerous times, that it would take 4-6 weeks to get rid of the iran nuclear threat, and I did it in one night!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“The rest of the time is just to make sure it stays that way,” he added.

Trump’s threat also coincided with a wider U.S. military buildup in the region.
Axios reported that Washington had recently deployed additional Patriot missile batteries to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to help protect key energy facilities from possible Iranian retaliation.

The outlet also reported that the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and its strike group were heading to the Middle East, where they could join two other U.S. carrier strike groups already in the region.

The United Arab Emirates has opened a

n investigation into whether the FlyDubai incident was linked to terrorism, while Saudi Arabia said the co-pilot was transferred to the UAE on Thursday accompanied by an “Emirati security team.”

Saudi Arabia said its initial investigation showed the co-pilot had attacked the aircraft’s captain.

The alleged assault triggered a struggle for control of the aircraft before the emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

Passengers were later flown to Israel on a replacement flight.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the suspect had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination.”

“We know that he underwent Islamist radical indoctrination,” Netanyahu told Fox News, without elaborating.

“The attacker, he calls out to the aircrew, ‘Kill me, kill me,'” Netanyahu said, adding that it was “clear he was suicidal.”

His comments came after the UAE chief prosecutor said investigators would examine whether there had been “terrorist activity or intent.”

Netanyahu said the UAE would lead the investigation while Israel would participate.

He identified the co-pilot as an Omani national and said Israel would review how he had been cleared to work on flights to the country.

“We have constraints that say that you can’t have pilots from countries that don’t have diplomatic relations with Israel. Obviously he was able to go through that,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu earlier credited Capt. Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, and passengers with averting disaster after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed him and tried to crash the plane.

“During the flight, as they approached the country, one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot, and apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board,” Netanyahu said in a video message.

Passengers described rushing the cockpit and a fight for control after the plane suddenly plummeted, losing around 17,000 feet of altitude in about a minute, according to Flightradar24 data cited by AFP.

Israeli officials have called the incident “an attempted terrorist attack,” although Netanyahu had earlier not ruled out the possibility that mental health was a factor.

Netanyahu later praised Machchhar “for his extraordinary bravery.”
The Indian ambassador to the UAE visited the wounded captain, with the embassy saying he was in “good health and recovering well.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Machchhar as a “hero,” saying his actions helped save lives.

Passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon said the aircraft was “pretty much out of control” as the incident unfolded over Jordan.

“The co-pilot tried to murder the pilot and basically carry out a suicide attack on the plane,” she told reporters.

“It was really on the way to crashing, and it was simply the resourcefulness of many people who took control of the co-pilot and neutralized him,” she said.
FlyDubai said another “on-duty FlyDubai crew traveling on the flight” landed the aircraft safely.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he would honor five Israelis who helped overpower the co-pilot and prevent the plane from crashing.