Trump Links Iran to Attempted Flydubai Hijacking

2 min read

President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday that Iran may be linked to the attempted hijacking of Flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was carrying Israelis and other passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv. During a press briefing, Trump stated that while the investigation is ongoing, there is a possibility that Iran was involved in the attack.

“I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is yes, but we’re working on it right now,” Trump said. When asked about potential U.S. retaliation, he responded, “Oh they’ll be hit very hard. Don’t worry. You just ask them. They know what happened.”

The incident shocked the world when news broke on Wednesday about a scuffle between two pilots on the flight. The Omani co-pilot allegedly stabbed Indian Captain Smit Machchhar in an attempt to take control of the plane and crash it. The attack took place as the flight was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv, with 174 passengers, including 20 children, on board. Many of the passengers were Israelis, and there were also four Americans aboard.

Machchhar fought back and managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to assist in subduing the attacker. Two off-duty pilots on board took control of the plane and landed it safely in Saudi Arabia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later confirmed that investigators found the co-pilot had “undergone Islamist radical indoctrination.”

“That appears to be something we are gathering from his personal information,” Netanyahu said. Israeli journalist Yosef Yisrael reported that the Omani co-pilot behaved in an unusually strict manner before the incident, noting that his religious behavior was “out of step with his surroundings.” According to Yisrael, the co-worker of the suspect said, “There is no other way to put it, we hired the services of a terrorist and nearly caused the deaths of 180 people.”

Source: Daily Wire

Written by

claire.thomson