Flydubai cockpit attack: 5 key questions on motive, attacker, Iran and security
The flight departed Dubai at 6.05 am local time and was flying west towards Tel Aviv. The aircraft descended 17,400 feet in just under two minutes before issuing a distress call at 8.31 am (local time). The ministry referred to the Abraham Accords as the US-brokered normalization deal signed in 2020.
Because the aircraft is registered in the UAE and operates under its flag, uAE judicial authorities have jurisdiction.
About two hours after takeoff, it began losing altitude rapidly and turned sharply north, according to flight-tracking data. US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the incident “at length” over the phone. Trump said the co-pilot “was perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack job. The UAE said its law applies to crimes committed on board “even if they occur outside the country’s territory”. Netanyahu said he spoke with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who agreed Israel would participate in the interrogation of the suspect. Netanyahu said Wednesday that it was too early to determine whether Iran was involved. “Well, it’s too early to say,” Netanyahu told Fox News when asked whether there was any indication of Iranian involvement. “The attacking pilot is now being investigated in Saudi Arabia,” Netanyahu said, adding he believed the suspect would be taken to UAE and Israel could participate. “It’s no secret that Iran wants to target Israelis abroad, wants to target Israel here,” Netanyahu said. He said Israel had also seen signs from Iran’s proxies of plans to attack, citing Hamas and Hezbollah ahead of Israel’s elections. The Israeli Foreign Ministry told diplomats that the incident was an attack aimed at undermining ties between Israel and the UAE and the Abraham Accords. Foreign Ministry Director General Eden Bar Tal briefed “all Israeli ambassadors and heads of representations around the world [during which] the message was emphasized that this was an attempted terrorist attack against Israelis, the United Arab Emirates and the Abraham Accords,” the ministry said in a statement.
The UAE prosecutor general has ordered an investigation into the circumstances and motives behind the incident, including whether it was linked to militant activity or involved prior planning or direction. The Israeli Foreign Ministry described the incident to diplomats as an attempted terrorist attack aimed at undermining ties between Israel and the UAE. Whether Iran had any role in the incident also remained unanswered.