US President Donald Trump has warned that Iran could face a strong military response if investigations establish that Tehran was linked to an incident involving a flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Israel.
Trump issued the warning on Thursday as authorities continued investigating an incident in which a co-pilot allegedly attacked the aircraft’s captain, leading to a struggle for control of the plane.
The flight was carrying mostly Israeli passengers when the incident occurred. Passengers reportedly intervened to help regain control of the aircraft, which later made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The passengers were subsequently flown back to Israel on a replacement flight.
Trump was asked at the White House whether Iran was involved in the incident. He said the answer appeared to be yes based on information he was receiving, while stressing that investigations were still ongoing.
Asked whether the United States would retaliate if Iran was found responsible, Trump said Iran would be “hit very hard.”
The warning came amid increased US military activity in the Middle East. According to Axios, the United States had deployed additional Patriot missile systems to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to protect key energy facilities against possible Iranian retaliation.
The report also said the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and its strike group were heading towards the Middle East, where they could join two other US carrier groups already operating in the region.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has opened an investigation into whether the incident was connected to terrorism.
Saudi Arabia said the co-pilot was handed over to the UAE on Thursday with an Emirati security team. Preliminary findings indicated that he had attacked the captain during the flight.
The alleged attack triggered a struggle inside the cockpit before the aircraft was brought under control and diverted for an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the suspect had undergone what he described as “Islamist radical indoctrination.” He also said the suspect had reportedly shouted at the crew to kill him.
Netanyahu identified the co-pilot as an Omani national and said Israeli authorities would examine how he had been cleared to operate flights to Israel, given the country’s restrictions involving nationals of states that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
He had earlier praised the captain, Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, and passengers who helped prevent the aircraft from crashing.
Passengers said the plane suddenly lost about 17,000 feet in altitude within a minute, according to Flightradar24, prompting several people to rush towards the cockpit.
One passenger, Miryam Shira Ohayon, said the aircraft appeared to be heading towards a crash before passengers managed to restrain the co-pilot.
Flydubai said another crew member who was travelling on the flight eventually landed the aircraft safely. The airline also suspended flights to Israel while investigations into the incident continued.
The captain was injured during the incident but was later reported to be recovering well. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised him for his actions, describing him as a hero.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also announced plans to honour Israelis who helped overpower the co-pilot and prevent the aircraft from crashing.
Authorities in the UAE said investigators would determine whether there was any terrorist activity or intent behind the incident, while Israel said it would participate in the investigation.
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