Trump Says Iran Likely Behind Flydubai Attack, Vows Tehran Will Be ‘Hit Very Hard’

US President Donald Trump has said Iran was likely behind the attempted hijacking of a flydubai flight bound for Israel, warning that Tehran would be “hit very hard” if investigators confirm the link.

“I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is yes, but we’re working on it right now,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday, according to the New York Post. Asked whether the United States would retaliate if Iran were found responsible, he replied: “Oh, they’ll be hit, very hard, don’t worry.”

Trump suggested the co-pilot “could’ve been” an agent of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or radicalised by other means, though he offered no evidence publicly to support the claim.

The remarks concern flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, on which the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain in the cockpit. The injured captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to subdue the attacker before the aircraft, carrying more than 170 people, most of them Israeli, made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News on Thursday that the co-pilot had undergone what he described as “Islamist radical indoctrination” and had shouted “kill me, kill me” after being subdued. Netanyahu nevertheless said it was “too early to say” whether Iran was involved, and two Israeli security officials told The Sun their initial assessment was that the co-pilot had likely acted alone.

The United Arab Emirates has opened an investigation into whether the incident involved terrorist activity, with Netanyahu saying the UAE would lead the probe with Israeli participation. Saudi Arabia said on Thursday that the co-pilot had been transferred to the UAE accompanied by an Emirati security team.

The warning came as Trump told Time magazine it was “possible” he would resume bombing Iran after the November 3 midterm elections, according to a wire report — adding to pressure amid a US military buildup in the region that Axios reports includes additional Patriot missile batteries in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Sources

• New York Post: Trump says Iran behind failed flydubai hijack attempt
• The Sun: Iran ‘involved’ in hijacking attempt on Israel-bound jet, Trump suggests
• The Leaders Online: Trump vows to hit Iran ‘very hard’ if linked to flydubai attack