WEBDESK - NAYADAUR
US President Donald Trump has warned that Iran could face severe military retaliation if investigators determine that Tehran was connected to an incident aboard a Flydubai flight that was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Trump made the remarks on Thursday as investigators continued examining the circumstances surrounding Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain inside the cockpit.
Asked whether Iran could have been involved, Trump said his administration was examining the possibility. He suggested the co-pilot could have been directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or could have become radicalised independently.
“If Iran is found to be connected to the Flydubai incident this week, don’t worry, Iran will be hit very hard,” Trump said, according to reports from the remarks.
The incident occurred on Wednesday when the aircraft reportedly went into a steep descent after the Omani co-pilot attacked Indian Captain Smit Machchhar. The captain, despite being injured, was able to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene and restrain the co-pilot. The aircraft was subsequently diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia and landed safely.
More than 170 people were aboard the aircraft. The incident is being investigated by authorities in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Israel, while the alleged attacker has been taken into custody. Flydubai has suspended flights to Israel while the investigation continues.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the co-pilot had undergone what he described as Islamist radical indoctrination. However, Netanyahu has also cautioned that it is too early to establish a connection between the suspect and Iran. Reuters reported that Israeli security officials currently believe the co-pilot may have acted alone, while investigations into a possible terrorist motive remain ongoing.
No publicly established evidence currently links Iran to the Flydubai incident. The question of whether the attack was terrorism-related, an individual act, or connected to another motive remains under investigation.
Trump’s warning comes amid already heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran. The United States has continued economic and military pressure on Iran, while the broader conflict has disrupted aviation and energy markets across the region.
Oil prices have also remained sensitive to developments involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude settled at $102.31 a barrel on Thursday after rising more than 4%, while West Texas Intermediate settled at $92.87. Prices eased somewhat on Friday as traders assessed changing supply signals.
Trump has separately argued that oil prices will decline once the Iran conflict is resolved. His latest warning, however, adds another potential escalation point to an already volatile situation.
For now, investigators are focused on establishing the co-pilot’s motive and determining whether anyone else was involved. Any confirmed evidence of an Iranian connection could have significant consequences for the wider U.S.-Iran confrontation.