US President Donald Trump has warned that Iran will be “hit very hard” if it is found to be linked to an attack by a co-pilot aboard a flydubai flight bound for Israel.
The warning came after passengers and crew members intervened during a dramatic mid-air struggle that threatened to send the aircraft crashing, reports AFP.
The flight, carrying mostly Israeli passengers, was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia before the passengers were flown back to Israel on a replacement flight and received a hero’s welcome.
Asked at the White House on Thursday whether Iran was involved in the incident, Trump said, “I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is yes but we’re working on it right now”.
Asked whether the United States would retaliate against Tehran if Iran was found responsible, Trump said, “Oh, they’ll be hit very hard, don’t worry”.
Trump’s warning came as the US expanded its military presence in the region.
According to news outlet Axios, Washington recently deployed additional Patriot missile batteries to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to help protect key energy facilities from possible Iranian retaliation.
Axios also reported that the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and its strike group were heading towards the Middle East, where they could join two other US carrier strike groups already in the region.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched an investigation into whether the incident was connected to terrorism.
The UAE chief prosecutor said investigators would examine whether there had been “terrorist activity or intent”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the UAE would lead the investigation, with Israel taking part.
Saudi Arabia said the co-pilot, identified by Netanyahu as an Omani national, was transferred to the UAE on Thursday accompanied by an “Emirati security team”.
Saudi authorities said their initial investigation found that the co-pilot had attacked the captain, triggering a struggle for control of the aircraft.
According to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, the aircraft suddenly plunged, losing around 17,000 feet of altitude within a minute.
Passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon described the aircraft as “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… 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 neutralised him,” she told reporters.
Netanyahu told the TV programme “Fox & Friends” that the suspect had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination”, but did not elaborate.
He also said the attacker had called out to the aircrew, “Kill me, kill me”, adding that it was clear he was suicidal.
Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu said Israel would examine how the Omani national had been cleared to fly 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,” he said.
Israeli officials have described the incident as “an attempted terrorist attack”. However, Netanyahu had earlier said in an interview with CBS News that mental health could not be ruled out as a possible cause.
In a video message, Netanyahu said, “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 credited captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, and passengers with preventing a catastrophe, praising Machchhar for his “extraordinary bravery”.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Machchhar as a “HERO”, saying his actions helped save lives.
The Indian ambassador to the UAE also visited the wounded captain. The embassy said he was in “good health and recovering well”.
Flydubai said another on-duty flydubai crew member travelling on the flight landed the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia.
The airline has suspended flights to Israel while the investigation continues.
Meanwhile, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he would honour five Israelis who helped overpower the co-pilot and prevent the aircraft from crashing.
