Donald Trump says US will hit Iran ‘very hard’ if linked to flydubai attack

Trump vows hard retaliation if Iran linked to flydubai attack

On Thursday, 2 Oct 2026, President Donald Trump said at a White House briefing that Iran would be "hit very hard" should evidence show Tehran’s involvement in the cockpit assault on a flydubai flight bound for Israel. When asked directly whether the United States would retaliate, Trump answered, "Oh, they'll be hit very hard, don't worry." The comment came as the United Arab Emirates opened a formal probe into possible terrorist motives.

What happened on the flight

The flight – dubbed FZ1073 – took off from Dubai and was en route to Tel‑Aviv when the co‑pilot, identified by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an Omani national, allegedly stabbed the captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, and attempted to crash the aircraft. Passengers rushed the cockpit, wrestled the co‑pilot to the floor and, according to data from Flightradar24, the plane lost roughly 17,000 feet in altitude within a minute before an emergency landing at a Saudi desert airfield. Passengers were later flown to Israel on a replacement service.

US military moves in the region

Trump’s warning coincided with reports from Axios that the United States has recently deployed additional Patriot missile batteries to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to protect key energy infrastructure. The outlet also noted that the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier and its strike group are en route to the Middle East, where they could join two other US carrier groups already operating in the area.

Reactions from Israel, the UAE and India

Netanyahu, speaking on Fox & Friends, said the co‑pilot had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination" and described the incident as an "attempted terrorist attack". He added that Israel would work with the UAE, which is leading the investigation, to determine how an Omani citizen was cleared to fly to Israel despite diplomatic constraints. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Captain Machchhar a "hero", while the Indian ambassador to the UAE confirmed the captain was in "good health and recovering well".

What comes next

The UAE prosecutor said investigators would explore whether there was "terrorist activity or intent". Saudi authorities transferred the co‑pilot to the UAE on Thursday, escorted by an Emirati security team. Flydubai announced it is suspending flights to Israel until the inquiry is complete. Meanwhile, US officials have not detailed any specific response options, leaving the exact nature of any future retaliation unclear.

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The incident has revived concerns over aviation security in a region already tense over Iran‑US relations, and the next few days will likely see diplomatic and military signals from Washington, Tehran and the Gulf states as the investigation unfolds.