Trump Links FlyDubai Hijacker to Iran, Warns of Severe Retaliation
President Trump stated his administration is investigating potential ties between the co-pilot who attacked a captain and Iran's military.
President Donald Trump said Thursday that his administration is investigating whether the co-pilot who stabbed the captain of a FlyDubai flight to Tel Aviv has links to Iran and its elite military unit, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
"I would say the answer, based on what I'm hearing, is yes. But we're working on it right now," Trump stated at the White House when asked about potential ties to Iran.
He further warned that if the co-pilot is found to be connected to Iran, the U.S. will impose severe penalties on the regime. "They'll be hit very hard," Trump said.
The incident occurred Wednesday as the FlyDubai flight traveled from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain in an apparent attempt to crash the plane. The assault was thwarted when the wounded captain unlocked the cockpit door, allowing passengers to subdue the assailant. The flight was carrying over 170 people, primarily Israelis.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an interview with Fox News, indicated that the co-pilot underwent "Islamist radical indoctrination," based on information gathered about him. Two Israeli security officials, however, initially assessed that the co-pilot, identified as an Omani national, was likely acting alone, though the investigation remained ongoing.
During the incident, the aircraft plunged more than 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds over Saudi Arabia before an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after passengers intervened. Both the co-pilot and the captain were hospitalized.
Trump also commended Boeing and its CEO, Kelly Ortberg, for the structural integrity of the 737 MAX aircraft, which he said withstood extreme forces during the rapid descent. "Congratulations to the great Boeing Company for producing a plane, the 737 Max, that was able to withstand G Forces and Strain far beyond what it was designed and expected to do," he wrote in a social media post.
A fellow pilot, speaking anonymously, described the assailant as having exhibited "very strange behavior, especially around religious observances that were out of step with his surroundings." The source also reportedly expressed that FlyDubai had "betrayed Israel" by employing the individual, suggesting the airline had "hired the services of a terrorist."