President Donald Trump is raising the possibility that Iran was behind the violent cockpit attack on a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv — but investigators say the full story has not yet emerged.
Flydubai flight FZ1073, traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was forced into an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain mid-flight. Crew members and passengers stopped the attack and landed the jet.
Asked Thursday whether the co-pilot had links to Tehran, Trump told reporters: "I would say the answer, based on what I'm hearing, is yes, but we're working on it right now." When pressed on whether Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps placed the co-pilot on the flight or he was radicalized another way, Trump said, "It could have been, yeah." He added that Iran would be hit "very hard" if it was behind the attack.
Israeli officials are urging caution. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was "too early" to determine Iranian involvement, and Israeli security officials told Reuters their initial assessment is that the co-pilot probably acted alone — with no evidence of Iranian involvement found so far.
What to watch next: the UAE's formal investigation into the co-pilot's background and motive — and whether any evidence of outside direction surfaces.