US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran may have been involved in the attack aboard a flydubai flight bound for Israel and warned that Tehran would be “hit very hard” if investigators establish an Iranian connection. Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the White House as authorities continued investigating the incident involving the flight’s co-pilot and Indian captain Smit Machchhar. Trump said his assessment was based on information he was hearing, but did not provide evidence to substantiate an Iranian link. Investigators in the region have not publicly established that Iran was responsible, and the motive behind the incident remains under investigation.

The flydubai aircraft was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when the co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar inside the cockpit. The aircraft subsequently went into a rapid descent, with the wounded captain managing to open the cockpit door. Passengers and crew members then intervened and subdued the attacker, while two off-duty pilots who were travelling as passengers helped operate the aircraft. The plane was diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Machchhar was seriously injured in the attack and was later reported to be recovering in stable condition.

Trump was asked whether Iran was involved in the incident and said, “I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is yes,” while adding that authorities were still working on the matter. He was then asked whether the United States would retaliate if Iran was found to be responsible. Trump responded that Iran would be “hit very hard.” The comments represented a stronger public assertion of a possible Iranian connection than that made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had said it was too early to determine whether Tehran was involved. The United Arab Emirates has also launched an investigation into whether the incident involved terrorist activity, prior planning or outside direction.

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Israeli officials have described the incident as a serious security threat, while investigations continue into the co-pilot’s motive and background. Netanyahu said the co-pilot had undergone what he described as “Islamist radical indoctrination,” based on information obtained during questioning. However, the authorities have not publicly established that the alleged attack was directed by Iran or another state actor. Reports have identified the co-pilot as an Omani national, although officials have been cautious about drawing conclusions regarding his motives. Saudi, UAE and Israeli authorities have been involved in examining the circumstances surrounding the cockpit attack and the events that preceded it.

The warning against Iran came as Trump was also taking a harder line on the broader conflict with Tehran. In an interview with Time magazine published Thursday, Trump said it was “possible” that the United States could resume bombing Iran after next month’s US midterm elections, according to the report cited in the supplied material. His latest comments therefore place the flydubai investigation against the backdrop of already heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran. However, the alleged connection between Iran and the flight incident remains an unproven claim at this stage, and investigators have not announced findings establishing Iranian involvement.

The flydubai incident has meanwhile drawn international attention because of the actions of Machchhar and the passengers who helped prevent the aircraft from potentially crashing. According to accounts of the incident, Machchhar was able to open the cockpit door despite being wounded, allowing passengers to restrain the co-pilot and helping make a safe landing possible. The investigations will now focus on determining why the co-pilot attacked the captain, whether the incident was planned, and whether anyone else was involved. Until those inquiries establish the motive and any external links, Trump's suggestion of Iranian involvement remains an allegation rather than a confirmed finding.

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