Trump vows to hit Iran "very hard" if linked to flydubai attack
Donald Trump said Tehran was likely involved in the flydubai co-pilot's attempt to crash an Israel-bound flight, warning Iran would be struck "very hard" if a link is confirmed.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Tehran was likely involved in the attempted crash of flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, warning Iran would be struck “very hard” if a link is confirmed.
Asked at the White House whether he had been briefed on links between the Omani co-pilot and Tehran, Mr Trump said: “I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is yes, but we’re working on it right now.” He did not elaborate.
Pressed on whether the United States would retaliate, he added: “Oh they’ll be hit, very hard, don’t worry. You just ask them. They know what happened. They’ll be hit very hard.”
A regional official briefed on the inquiry said “all possible scenarios, from terrorism to mental disorders, are being looked into” and nothing had been ruled out.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News the attacker had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination”, but said it was “too early to say” whether Iran was involved and that investigators were examining whether the co-pilot had accomplices.
The co-pilot allegedly assaulted the captain about two and a half hours after takeoff before passengers and crew restrained him and the Boeing 737 Max 8, carrying 182 people, landed at Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. The injured captain was recovering in Abu Dhabi, India’s government said.
Mr Trump also told Time magazine it was “possible” he would resume bombing Iran after the 3 November election, reiterating his UN General Assembly threat to “annihilate” Iran.
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