Trump blames Iran for attempted hijack of Israel plane after captain stabbed

Por Maryam Zakir-Hussain — – World RSS Feed

Investigators are probing whether the Omani co-pilot had links to Australia and New Zealand

Maryam Zakir-Hussain Tuesday 06 October 2026 11:37 BST

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FlyDubai co-pilot was reportedly flagged before attack. So how was he cleared to fly?

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US president Donald Trump has blamed Iran for the attempted hijacking of a FlyDubai flight to Israel.

Investigations are still ongoing into the near-catastrophic incident last week, when a co-pilot stabbed his colleague in midair on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

But when asked by reporters at the White House if he thought Iran was behind it, Trump said: “I do, I personally do.”

The United Arab Emirates, which is leading the probe, said the co-pilot – identified as 29 year-old Hamam al-Hammami – attacked the flight’s captain with the cockpit’s crash axe, sending the Boeing 737 Max into a sudden 17,000ft plunge.

Donald Trump has blamed Iran for the attempted hijacking of the FlyDubai flight to Israel ( AFP/Getty )

Despite sustaining severe injuries, Indian captain Smit Machchhar, was able to unlock the flight deck door, allowing passengers to force their way inside, subdue al- Hammami, and stabilise the plane before making an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Last week, Trump said he spoke to Israel’s prime minister about the incident, calling the pilot a “whack-job” or “terrorist”.

While the investigation continues, preliminary details about the incident have highlighted several major security lapses.

Netanyahu told the head of the National Security Council to appoint an examiner to review “all security aspects regarding foreign civil aviation to Israel”.

Officials already have said the Omani co-pilot had been barred from flying by his own country because of concerns about his extremist views.

Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum visits injured Indian Flydubai Capt. Smit Machchhar ( AP )

The co-pilot told UAE interrogators that he planned the attack before he was hired by the state-owned airline and intended to crash the flight into Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, Israeli officials claimed.

He had operated another flight to Tel Aviv earlier this year and intended to hijack and crash it but opted not to, they added.

Australian authorities are also looking into his links to the country. Confirming the investigation, an Australian ⁠Federal Police spokesperson said they would provide an update “at an appropriate time”.

The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology said he was enrolled at the school for a time, but did not complete his engineering qualification, the Associated Press reported.

The pilot allegedly visited extremist websites in Australia, reported Financial Times, citing two sources familiar with the probe. The outlet reported that the intelligence services of the country also held a file on him.

New Zealand announced that al-Hammami was in New Zealand seven years ago, between November 2018 and May 2019 ⁠on a six-month student visa, to complete a portion of his flight training for a UK-based company, police said in a statement on Tuesday.

The police is reviewing records and undertaking enquiries about the time he spent in New Zealand.