The Flydubai cockpit horror is now taking a major geopolitical turn. US President Donald Trump has indicated that Iran could potentially be linked to the alleged attempt to crash the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, while stressing that investigations are still underway. Asked whether the attacker could have been connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Trump said it “could have been” and warned that Iran would be hit “very hard” if a link is established. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier claimed that the Omani co-pilot underwent Islamist radical indoctrination.

Israel says its military has killed two militants who entered Israel during the October 7, 2023 attack, including a Hamas cell commander linked to the abduction of six people from Kibbutz Be’eri. The IDF identified the Hamas commander as Muhammad Jamal Mahmoud Abu Al-Shaar and said he was killed in a strike in the Gaza City area. According to the Israeli military, he participated in the abduction of six people from Be’eri. A separate strike in Jabaliya killed Musab Abd al-Jalil Saqib Balbisi, whom the IDF identified as a commander in Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s military wing and said also entered Israel on October 7.