Trump Warns Iran: If Tehran Was Behind FlyDubai Attack, It Will Be 'Hit Very Hard'

President Donald Trump declared on Thursday that Iran may be linked to the attempted downing of a FlyDubai flight bound for Israel, warning that Tehran would face severe retaliation if found responsible. His remarks came as investigators worked to determine why an Omani co-pilot allegedly stabbed the flight's captain mid-air, sending the aircraft into a near-suicidal dive that was only stopped by the courage of passengers and off-duty pilots.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday that Iran may have been involved in the attempted attack on a FlyDubai passenger jet, and he promised a swift and severe response if a connection is confirmed.

Asked whether he had been briefed on any links between the co-pilot and Tehran, Trump said: "We're working on that right now. I would say the answer, based on what I'm hearing, is yes, but we're working on it right now" .

Pressed on whether the United States would retaliate if Iran was responsible, Trump did not hesitate.

"Oh, they'll be hit very hard, don't worry," he said. "You just ask them. They know what happened. They'll be hit very hard" .

A Mid-Air Nightmare

The incident occurred on Wednesday aboard FlyDubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 Max 9 carrying approximately 174 passengers, most of them Israeli citizens, from Dubai to Tel Aviv .

According to multiple reports, an Omani co-pilot suddenly attacked the flight's captain, an Indian national identified as Smit Machchhar, in the cockpit .

The attack triggered a catastrophic chain of events. The aircraft, cruising at 34,000 feet, entered a sudden and violent dive .

Flight Data Reveals the Scale of the Emergency

The numbers are staggering.

The plane lost approximately 14,300 feet in just 37 seconds during the initial descent . Other reports indicated the aircraft ultimately plummeted over 17,000 feet in 40 seconds .

The dive rate peaked at nearly 31,000 feet per minute, and the ground speed exceeded 500 knots — roughly 930 kilometers per hour .

The aerodynamic forces were so extreme that the plane's rudder was torn off .

Aviation experts later stated the aircraft came within 40 seconds of crashing .

The Heroic Intervention

The captain, despite being severely wounded, managed to unlock the cockpit door .

Three Israeli passengers — including off-duty pilots — rushed into the cockpit, overpowered the co-pilot, and stabilized the controls .

The aircraft made an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia. The captain was rushed to a hospital, where he remains in stable condition .

"We felt helpless, suspended in midair, and I didn't know who to turn to," said Asaf Rajuan, one of the passengers who intervened. "But it was all instinct to survive" .

Trump's Escalation

Trump's remarks went further than those of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who cautioned that it was "too early to say" whether Iran was involved .

Trump also suggested the co-pilot may have been "placed" on the aircraft by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or radicalized in some other way, telling reporters: "Could have been, yeah" .

In a post on Truth Social, Trump referenced his earlier military campaign against Iran: "I stated, numerous times, that it would take 4-6 weeks to get rid of THE IRAN NUCLEAR THREAT, and I did it in one night!" .

He also told Time magazine that he would not accept proposals from Iran that he "wouldn't have approved a year ago," and left open the possibility of resuming bombing after the November 3 midterm elections .

The Suspect and the Investigation

The co-pilot, an Omani citizen who had worked for FlyDubai for only eight months, was arrested after the plane landed .

He has not been publicly identified. Video footage from inside the plane shows him on his knees, hands bound behind his back .

Netanyahu claimed the suspect had undergone "radical Islamist indoctrination," though his office declined to provide evidence when asked by the Associated Press .

The investigation is being conducted jointly by authorities from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Israel. Israeli intelligence agencies Mossad and Shin Bet are reportedly leading the probe into a possible Iranian role .

A regional official said: "All possible scenarios, from terrorism to mental disorders, are being looked into. Nothing is ruled out for now" .

The Diplomatic Fallout

The incident comes at a delicate moment in U.S.-Iran relations.

Diplomatic efforts to end the seven-month war between the U.S. and Iran have stalled. Iranian officials indicated Wednesday they had received an official U.S. response to Tehran's latest cease-fire proposal, which Trump had publicly rejected days earlier .

Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury announced new sanctions Thursday targeting Iran's automotive and rail sectors, expanding the administration's "Operation Economic Outcast" campaign to choke off Tehran's remaining sources of revenue .

The Bottom Line

Trump's remarks represent a significant escalation in rhetoric. But as Netanyahu cautioned, the investigation is ongoing — and the full truth of what happened in the cockpit of Flight FZ1073 remains to be determined.

For now, the world waits — and Iran watches.