Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said it is too early to determine whether Iran was involved in the alleged attempt to crash a flydubai flight bound for Israel after its co-pilot stabbed the captain and reportedly interfered with the aircraft’s controls. Speaking to Fox News host Sean Hannity, Netanyahu said Israel would seek to establish the attacker’s background, possible accomplices and any wider connection behind the incident. He also said Israel could potentially participate in the investigation.

The comments came after Hannity specifically asked Netanyahu whether there were indications of Iranian involvement in the incident. Netanyahu responded that it was “too early to say”, while stressing that authorities would investigate the circumstances surrounding the co-pilot. He said investigators would seek to determine whether the attacker acted alone, had accomplices or whether Iran had any role. Israeli officials have so far said the motive behind the incident remains under investigation, and there has been no confirmed evidence publicly establishing an Iranian connection.

The incident involved flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. According to Israeli officials cited by Reuters, the co-pilot stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, before the aircraft entered a steep descent. Passengers and crew members intervened, entered the cockpit and restrained the co-pilot, allowing other pilots on board to help regain control of the aircraft. The plane was subsequently diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.

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The flight was carrying 174 people, most of them Israeli nationals, according to Israeli officials. The wounded captain was taken for medical treatment, while Saudi authorities arrested and began investigating the co-pilot. Israeli officials have described the episode as a serious security incident, while flydubai has said the underlying reasons for the cockpit altercation remain unknown and cautioned against premature speculation. Israel has also indicated that it plans to strengthen checks on pilots operating flights into the country as authorities examine the circumstances of the incident.

Netanyahu's remarks therefore stop short of linking the incident to Iran, with the Israeli prime minister explicitly saying that such a conclusion would be premature at this stage. The investigation is expected to focus on the co-pilot's background, possible motive and whether anyone else was involved. Israeli authorities have said they will follow the probe and could participate in it, while Saudi and UAE authorities are also involved in examining the incident. Until investigators establish the motive and any possible connections, the reported Iran angle remains an unconfirmed line of inquiry rather than an established finding.

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