Trump said his administration was examining whether the co-pilot was linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or had been radicalised beforehand. Netanyahu separately said investigators had found signs of Islamist radicalisation.
BY PC Bureau
October 1: US President Donald Trump has raised the possibility of an Iranian connection to the attempted takeover of a flydubai passenger flight, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged caution, saying it is too early to establish whether Tehran had any role in the attack.
The sharply different assessments came a day after passengers and crew thwarted an apparent attempt by the co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 to take control of the aircraft and crash it. The Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight plunged thousands of feet before the attacker was subdued and the aircraft was diverted to Saudi Arabia.
Asked whether he had been briefed on a possible Iranian connection, Trump said his administration was examining the issue but indicated that the preliminary information he had received pointed towards one.
“We’re working on that right now. We’ll be very open with it. I would say the answer based on what I’m hearing is yes, but we’re working on it right now,” Trump said.
Asked whether the co-pilot could have been placed on the aircraft by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or radicalised before attempting to bring down the plane, Trump replied: “Could have been, yeah.”
Netanyahu, however, struck a more cautious note in an interview with Fox News on Thursday, saying it was too early to determine whether the co-pilot had links to Iran or anyone else.
🇺🇸🇮🇷🇦🇪🇮🇱 President Trump is now blaming Iran for the FlyDubai incident pic.twitter.com/8rlkpUOiBg
— HOT SPOT (@HotSpotHotSpot) October 1, 2026
“I think it’s too early to say whether he had any connections with Iran or with anyone else,” Netanyahu said, adding that investigators expected to have a clearer picture within days. Reuters reported that no Iranian involvement had been established.
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Netanyahu did make a separate claim about the co-pilot’s background, saying investigators had found evidence that he had undergone Islamist radicalisation.
“We know that he underwent Islamist radical indoctrination,” Netanyahu said, adding that the assessment was based on information being gathered from the co-pilot’s personal background.
The distinction between the two claims is significant. Radicalisation, if confirmed, would not by itself establish an Iranian connection, direction or sponsorship. The UAE has launched an investigation into the circumstances and motive of the incident, including whether there was terrorist involvement or prior planning. Israeli intelligence agencies are also investigating.
What happened aboard FZ1073
Flight FZ1073 was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when an altercation broke out in the cockpit. Israeli officials said the co-pilot attacked the captain and apparently attempted to crash the aircraft.
The aircraft underwent a dramatic descent before passengers and crew intervened. The wounded captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to enter and overpower the attacker. A reserve crew member then helped fly the aircraft to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
The captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, was injured in the attack and has been praised for helping prevent the aircraft from being brought down. Passengers who intervened have also been credited with helping restrain the attacker.
Details of the weapon used in the cockpit remain unclear. Netanyahu has said the captain was stabbed or struck with an axe, while investigators have yet to provide a complete account of the sequence of events.
The co-pilot, identified by Israeli officials as an Omani national, remains under investigation. The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel are examining the incident, including the attacker’s background, motive and whether anyone else directed or assisted him.
For now, the central unanswered question is whether the incident was the act of a radicalised individual acting alone or whether it was part of a wider plot. Trump has raised the possibility of an Iranian connection; Netanyahu has said there is not yet enough evidence to make that determination.
