Netanyahu says Israel will probe Iran's possible role in flydubai cockpit attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel would investigate the origins of the co-pilot who attempted to crash a flydubai Boeing 737 en route to Tel Aviv, adding that Israel would "possibly" take part in the wider inquiry into the incident. Netanyahu said Israel would look into the "root" of the attacker and did not rule out Iranian involvement.

The aircraft was approaching Ben Gurion International Airport when an altercation broke out in the cockpit. The co-pilot attacked his colleague, stabbing him repeatedly with a sharp object. Captain Smit Machchhar, identified as an Indian national, suffered severe injuries but remained conscious throughout the ordeal, according to accounts from those who assisted him.

The suspected attacker, described as an Omani national and characterised as a religious extremist, was subsequently arrested and is being questioned by authorities in Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu said. flydubai has suspended flights to and from Israel while the investigation proceeds.

The incident drew responses from leaders across the world. UK Prime Minister Burnham stated that Iran had "played a part" in a separate incident at RAF Fairford, a base used for American operations in the region including strikes on Iranian missile sites, suggesting a broader pattern of alleged Iranian-linked activity that investigators may now examine in connection with the flight.