flydubai co-pilot is someone sent from Iran - Trump

On September 30, an Omani national co-pilot on a flydubai passenger plane flying to Israel launched an unexpected attack on its chief pilot, Mr. Smith Machar. Following this unfortunate incident, the aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, where the seriously injured chief pilot was immediately hospitalized. On October 1, US President Donald Trump hinted that there could be some connection between this plane attack and Iran.

Israeli authorities described the incident as a terrorist attempt launched by an Islamic extremist targeting a large number of Israeli passengers. The suspect co-pilot, who was arrested and subjected to initial investigations in Saudi Arabia following the emergency landing, has been handed over to the legal authorities of the United Arab Emirates for further investigation. Answering questions from journalists at the White House in Washington, President Trump further stated that, according to the information he was receiving, the answer to the question of whether there was a connection between the co-pilot and Iran was "yes".

However, he refused to provide detailed information on the matter. Meanwhile, in an interview with Fox News, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that this act was rooted in extremist hatred towards Israel. He pointed out that 166 of the 174 passengers on the plane were Israeli nationals, and that his recent warnings about hostile attacks had been confirmed by this incident. This incident has raised several unanswered questions regarding security procedures. In countries without diplomatic relations,

Even though Israel has banned pilots from countries without diplomatic relations from using Israeli airports, it is also a problem for authorities how an Omani pilot, from a country with no diplomatic ties, served on a flight bound for Tel Aviv. Furthermore, although flight crew members undergo separate security checks, it has not yet been confirmed how he brought a weapon onto the aircraft. Critics suggest that security measures have been somewhat relaxed due to the rapid increase in flights between the UAE and Israel after the 2020 Abraham Accords. Flydubai has temporarily suspended its flights to Israel until the situation calms down and investigations are concluded. The suspect co-pilot, who received initial treatment in Saudi Arabia,

has now been deported to Abu Dhabi. According to international aviation law, legal jurisdiction over crimes committed on an aircraft belongs to the state where the aircraft is registered. Accordingly, he is currently undergoing investigations by UAE authorities under charges of terrorist connections. Witnesses state that after passengers thwarted the attack, the suspect shouted for them to kill him, raising suspicions that he had planned some form of suicide attack. UAE Attorney General Hamad Al Shamsi stated that

a special investigation team has been appointed to look into this incident and ascertain the suspect's motives, and Israeli investigators will also be directly involved. Meanwhile, significant international attention has been focused on Indian national Chief Pilot Smith Machar, who survived the stabbing and thwarted the attack by opening the cockpit door. Born in Mumbai, he has been working for flydubai since June 2022, and previously completed 11 years of service as a chief pilot at SpiceJet in India. His total flying hours are 9,750. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X social media, calling him a true hero and commending his immense courage in protecting the lives of the passengers. Netanyahu also expressed his gratitude to him via X social media for saving the lives of 174 people, including a large number of Israeli nationals. Machar, who sustained serious injuries, is reportedly in stable condition at a major hospital in Saudi Arabia.