Trump says flydubai co-pilot has possible Iran link as investigation continues

Washington, USA, October 2, 2026 — US President Donald Trump said Thursday that preliminary information indicates the co-pilot involved in an incident aboard a flydubai flight may have links to Iran, while investigators continue examining the circumstances.

Speaking to a Fox News reporter while boarding Marine One, Trump was asked whether he had been briefed on a potential Iranian connection to the co-pilot.

“I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is yes, but we’re working on it right now,” Trump said, according to Fox News.

Asked whether Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had placed the co-pilot in the position or whether he had been radicalised through another route, Trump said, “It could have been.”

His comments came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was too early to definitively establish whether the co-pilot had links to Iran.

Michal Maayan, spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said investigators were examining possible ideological motives, accomplices and prior planning, while stressing that the investigation remained in its initial stages.

“Earlier today, Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke about the Islamist radical indoctrination of the Omani pilot, and it’s absolutely an avenue we’re investigating. However, everything is still open and closely examined,” Maayan said.

She added that investigators were examining all possibilities in light of the history of attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets, but said she could not provide further details at this stage.

Earlier, Netanyahu said the co-pilot who attacked Captain Smit Machchhar aboard the flydubai flight had undergone radical Islamist indoctrination.

Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu said the co-pilot was being interrogated and that Israeli investigators had joined the interrogation.