Iran Behind Flydubai Co-Pilot’s Stabbing Attack? Netanyahu Vows to ‘Get to the Root’

Iran link under investigation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will seek to establish whether Iran was behind the cockpit attack aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

Speaking to Fox News host Sean Hannity, Netanyahu said investigators would get to the “root” of the attacker and determine whether he had accomplices or any connection to Iran. However, he stressed that it was too early to say whether Iran was involved.

The comments came after flydubai Flight FZ1073 was forced to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, following an incident in the cockpit on September 30.

Indian pilot stabbed during flight

The captain of the aircraft, Indian national Smit Machchhar, was allegedly stabbed by his co-pilot during the flight. The aircraft was carrying 174 people, according to reports.

The flight subsequently experienced a dramatic loss of altitude, plunging nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds, according to Reuters. Passengers and crew members intervened, while two off-duty flydubai pilots who were travelling on the aircraft helped take control and land the plane safely in Tabuk.

Machchhar was taken to a hospital in Saudi Arabia. India's embassy in Riyadh said he was receiving medical treatment and was reported to be in stable condition.

Was it an attempted crash?

Israeli officials have described the incident as an apparent attempt to crash the aircraft, while the exact motive remains under investigation.

Netanyahu said the attacker appeared to have been trying to interfere with the aircraft's controls. In another interview, he suggested the incident looked more like a possible suicide attempt than a conventional hijacking, but these comments were not presented as a final finding by investigators.

The Associated Press reported that the co-pilot, an Omani national, was arrested after the emergency landing and remains under investigation. His name and the precise motive have not been publicly established.

Netanyahu: ‘We’ll get to the root’

Netanyahu said investigators would examine the attacker's background, possible accomplices and any potential Iranian connection.

“We'll get to the root of this attacker, whether he had accomplices, whether Iran was behind it. I think we'll find out very soon,” Netanyahu said, according to Reuters.

At the same time, flydubai has urged against premature speculation, saying the underlying reasons and motives for the incident remained unknown and were subject to a formal investigation.

Captain Smit Machchhar hailed for saving passengers

Machchhar has been praised by both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Netanyahu for his actions during the incident.

Netanyahu said the Indian captain fought back after being attacked and helped open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to overpower the attacker.

Machchhar has served as a flydubai captain since June 2022. Before joining the Dubai-based airline, he spent around 11 years with SpiceJet and has reportedly logged approximately 9,750 hours of flying experience.

Investigation continues

The incident has triggered investigations involving authorities in the countries connected to the flight and the emergency landing. The question of whether the attack was motivated by terrorism, personal factors or another reason remains unresolved.

For now, there is no established evidence publicly confirming Iranian involvement. Netanyahu has said that possibility will be examined as investigators work to determine the attacker's motive and whether anyone else was involved.