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Trump said the investigation was still underway but indicated that such a connection was being considered.
US President Donald Trump walks to board Air Force One, as he travels to Texas and Oklahoma, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US. (IMAGE: REUTERS)
US President Donald Trump has suggested that Iran could be linked to the Omani pilot accused of stabbing his co-pilot, Indian Captain Smit Machchhar, and allegedly attempting to crash a FlyDubai flight carrying 174 people, mostly Israelis.
Trump made the remarks in a conversation with Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy on Thursday, as authorities continue to investigate the cockpit attack aboard the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.
Asked whether he had been briefed about a possible link between the suspect and Iran, Trump said the investigation was still underway but indicated that such a connection was being considered.
“I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing is yes, but we’re working on it right now,” Trump said.
Doocy then pressed Trump on whether the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) could have placed the Omani pilot on the flight, or whether the suspect might instead have been radicalised through some other route.
“It could have been. Yeah,” Trump replied.
The remarks come as the circumstances and possible motive behind the cockpit attack remain under investigation.
Machchhar and several passengers have been credited with helping prevent a disaster after the Omani pilot allegedly attacked the Indian co-pilot and tried to take control of the aircraft.
The flight, carrying 174 people, was eventually diverted to Saudi Arabia and made an emergency landing in Tabuk. The passengers were later flown back to Tel Aviv on an emergency flight.
Quick Answers
Ask News18US President Donald Trump indicated that an Iranian connection to the Omani pilot who allegedly tried to crash a FlyDubai flight is being considered, stating that investigations are underway to determine if the suspect was radicalized or placed on the flight by the IRGC.
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Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a chief sub editor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over seven years of experience during which he has …Read More
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
October 01, 2026, 11:34 PM IST
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