Trump Says Flydubai Co-Pilot May Be Linked to Iran as Investigation Continues

A dramatic Fox News-style graphic circulating online claims that President Donald Trump says the Flydubai co-pilot involved in a midair attack “appears to be linked to Iran.” The underlying event is real, but the Iranian connection remains unproven and under investigation.

 

 

 

4

Trump made the comments on October 1, 2026, after reporters asked him about a possible Iranian connection to the co-pilot who allegedly attacked the captain of Flydubai Flight FZ1073.

Trump said officials were “working on it right now” and that, based on what he was hearing, the answer appeared to be yes. He did not provide evidence publicly establishing an Iranian connection.

The president was also asked whether Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps might have placed the individual on the flight or whether he could have been radicalized through another route. Trump replied that it “could've been” the case.

That wording is significant. Trump was describing information he said he was receiving while the investigation was still underway, rather than announcing a confirmed finding by investigators.

 

 

 

5

The incident occurred on September 30 aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was traveling from Dubai International Airport toward Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.

According to Flydubai, an incident occurred while the aircraft was en route. The aircraft diverted and landed safely at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, with all passengers accounted for.

Saudi authorities subsequently said a preliminary investigation found that the co-pilot had assaulted the captain, leaving both men injured. The aircraft carried 174 passengers and eight crew members.

Reports from investigators and witnesses described a much more serious sequence inside the cockpit. The co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain, after which the aircraft descended rapidly before control was regained and the plane was diverted to Saudi Arabia.

The captain, identified in reporting as Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, was injured during the confrontation. Passengers and other crew members intervened, helping prevent the situation from developing into a catastrophic loss of the aircraft.

After the emergency landing, both pilots received medical treatment in Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities later transferred the captain and co-pilot to Abu Dhabi with a UAE security team after they were medically cleared to travel.

The UAE has now taken a central role in the investigation. Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi ordered a specialized Public Prosecution team to determine what happened and why.

The investigation is specifically examining the circumstances and motives, including whether the incident involved terrorist activity, prior planning or outside direction.

 

 

 

The UAE government has also urged the public and media to avoid speculation until investigators establish the facts. That warning is particularly relevant to the viral claim about Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has separately said that the co-pilot appeared to have undergone Islamist radicalization. However, Netanyahu also said it was too early to determine whether Iran was involved.

That creates an important distinction between the various statements being reported. Israeli officials have discussed possible ideological radicalization, while Trump has suggested a possible Iranian connection. Neither statement currently amounts to a publicly established finding that Tehran directed the incident.

 

 

 

The identity and background of the co-pilot have also been reported with some caution. CBS reported that an Omani official said the suspect was born in Oman and currently holds Omani citizenship, although the Omani government had not publicly confirmed those details at the time of its report.

The investigation therefore involves several separate questions: what motivated the attack, whether the co-pilot acted alone, whether the incident was terrorism-related, whether there was advance planning, and whether any outside organization was involved.

The Iranian question is only one part of that broader investigation.

Trump nevertheless went further when discussing possible consequences. Asked what would happen if Iran were ultimately found to be behind the incident, he warned that Iran would be hit “very hard.”

 

 

 

4

That warning comes against the backdrop of an already serious U.S.-Iran conflict. Consequently, any verified evidence connecting Tehran to an attempted attack on an Israel-bound commercial aircraft could have major diplomatic and military implications.

But as of October 2, investigators have not publicly established that Iran ordered, organized or supported the Flydubai incident.

The distinction is particularly important because a presidential statement about an intelligence assessment is not the same thing as a completed criminal or terrorism investigation.

The available evidence establishes that a violent cockpit incident occurred, that the aircraft landed safely in Saudi Arabia, that the co-pilot was detained and transferred to UAE authorities, and that investigators are examining possible terrorist connections.

 

 

 

4

What remains unresolved is why the co-pilot attacked the captain and whether anyone else directed or assisted him.

The incident has already prompted scrutiny of aviation security because the alleged attacker was a member of the flight crew rather than a passenger. Reuters reported that Flydubai suspended flights to Israel while the investigation proceeded.

The viral graphic therefore captures a genuine and rapidly developing story, but its wording can easily be interpreted as saying that an Iranian connection has already been proven.

That is not what the available evidence currently shows.