An incident aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to threaten a severe response against Iran. Trump said Iran would be hit very hard if the incident is found to be linked to Iran.
Asked by journalists whether the United States would consider retaliating against Iran if it were connected to the incident, Trump said the response against Iran would be very severe.
FZ1073 flight diverted to Tabuk
The incident occurred aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft was diverted to an airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it made an emergency landing.
Flydubai said a scuffle broke out in the cockpit and that crew members intervened to regain control of the aircraft. The plane was then safely diverted and landed.
Flights to Israel suspended
The airline suspended flights to and from Israel while authorities continued their investigation into the incident. Whether the flights will resume will be assessed based on new information obtained.
Trump also recalled saying earlier that eliminating Iran's nuclear threat would take four to six weeks. Trump claimed that he had achieved this goal overnight, adding that the remaining time was being used to ensure the situation continued.
Tehran calls accusations a ‘false flag’
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Sunday, October 4, rejected attempts to link Iran to the Flydubai incident. "The Zionist regime and some European countries have a long track record in what are known as false flag operations. Britain’s accusation against Iran is certainly within this framework," he told a press conference. "Even preschool children have realized that the affair of the Fairford air base or the Flydubai flight was very clumsily designed to accuse Iran," Baghaei said. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham had said there were "strong indications" that Iran played a part in an incident near RAF Fairford, a base used by U.S. aircraft.
