Flydubai Co-Pilot Under Probe Over Possible Iran Connection

US President Donald Trump has said investigators are examining a possible link between Iran and the Omani co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of a Flydubai aircraft during a flight from Dubai to Israel.

Trump raised the possibility of involvement by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC, as authorities continued investigating the incident.

Asked whether he had been briefed on a possible connection between Iran and the co-pilot, Trump said, “We’re working on it. Right now they’re being very open with us. I would say the answer based on what I’m hearing is yes.”

When asked whether the attacker could have been trained by the IRGC, Trump replied, “Could have been.”

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The comments came after an incident aboard Flydubai Flight 1073 in which passengers and crew reported an assault in the cockpit.

The aircraft subsequently lost altitude sharply before eventually landing in Saudi Arabia.

Reports said the plane plunged to about 17,000 feet in roughly one minute before the attacker was restrained and the aircraft stabilised. Trump also warned that Iran would face a strong response if investigators established that Tehran was behind the incident.

“They’ll be hit very hard,” Trump said when asked whether the United States would retaliate if Iran was found to be responsible.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was too early to determine whether the attacker had terrorist connections.

Netanyahu said investigators were continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident and that more information was expected as the probe progressed.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the alleged Iran or IRGC connection remains an investigative line rather than an established finding. The circumstances surrounding the cockpit attack, the co-pilot’s background and the reason for the alleged assault remain subject to investigation.