Trump: From what I hear, Iran may be involved in the attempt to shoot down the Flydubai plane

Washington - Ofoq News - US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Iran may be linked to the attempt to shoot down a Flydubai plane heading from Dubai to Tel Aviv, in the latest development in the investigation into the incident that almost ended in an air disaster.

In response to a question about Tehran’s possible involvement in the incident, Trump said, according to what was reported by Israeli and American media: “According to what I hear, I say yes, but we are investigating the matter now.”

Trump issued a warning to Iran, saying that if its involvement was proven, it would “be hit very hard,” and he also warned that factions linked to Iran would face the same fate.

Trump's statements come at a time when investigations are still ongoing regarding Flydubai flight FZ1073, after the Omani co-pilot attacked the pilot of the plane inside the cockpit, causing the plane to descend sharply to about 14,000 feet in less than half a minute, before passengers and crew members were able to control the attacker and the plane made an emergency landing in the Saudi city of Tabuk.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said that the co-pilot had been subjected to what he described as "Islamic extremism," but stressed that determining whether there was a connection to Iran needed further investigation. The UAE also launched an investigation to determine whether the incident was linked to a terrorist act or was planned in advance.