Trump threatens severe response if Iran tied to flydubai cockpit attack

US President Donald Trump has warned that Iran would face a severe response if it is found to have been involved in an incident on a flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The incident reportedly involved the co-pilot allegedly assaulting the captain before passengers intervened and prevented the aircraft from crashing. Israel’s prime minister said the co-pilot had undergone what he described as “Islamist radical indoctrination”.

Asked at the White House whether Tehran was involved, Trump said the answer was likely to be yes, but added that the matter was still being investigated. “We’re working on it right now,” he said. When asked whether the United States would retaliate if Iran were responsible, Trump replied: “They’ll be hit very hard, don’t worry.” The source material does not identify any official finding linking Iran to the flight incident.

Trump has also adopted a more confrontational position on the wider Iran conflict. In an interview with Time magazine, he said it was possible he could resume bombing Iran after the US midterm elections next month. He repeated a threat to “annihilate” Iran, while saying the conflict was aimed at preventing the country from developing a nuclear weapon.

Iran, according to the report, continues to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz more than seven months after initial US and Israeli attacks. The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington was preparing to send a third aircraft carrier and as many as 10,000 additional service members to the Middle East by the end of November. It was unclear whether the USS Theodore Roosevelt would replace an existing carrier in the region.