Iran has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of allegedly orchestrating the flydubai cockpit incident as what it described as a “false flag” operation.
A report by Iran’s Press TV claimed that the incident was intended to divert attention from scrutiny surrounding the October 7 Hamas attack, bolster Netanyahu’s political position and provide a pretext for renewed tensions with Iran.
The allegations come amid a wave of claims on social media describing the flydubai incident as a false flag operation, with posts accusing Israel, Mossad and Netanyahu of allegedly staging the cockpit attack for political purposes, including influencing elections, diverting attention from domestic controversies or escalating regional tensions.
However, these claims remain allegations and have not been independently established. Investigators are still examining the co-pilot’s motives and whether the incident involved any terrorist activity, prior planning or external direction.
The report claimed that the flydubai incident “appears to have been part of a scenario concocted” by Netanyahu and bin Zayed. It linked the allegation to Netanyahu’s reported secret visit to Abu Dhabi, days before the flydubai incident, during which he met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The reported meeting took place amid growing political pressure over claims that bin Zayed had previously warned Netanyahu about an impending Hamas operation.
According to the report, the alleged plan was intended to create a high-profile security incident involving a flydubai flight carrying a large number of Israeli passengers, present it as a terrorist attack, and link the episode to Iran. The report claimed that the resulting security concerns could then be used to strengthen Netanyahu’s image on security matters and generate support for renewed military action against Tehran.
Flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv, sent out emergency signals on Wednesday before rapidly descending more than 17,000 feet from an altitude of 34,000 feet. The aircraft was subsequently diverted to Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia after co-pilot alleged attacked flight’s pilot in the cockpit.
There were 174 passengers on board the flight, including 27 children.
The report said that Netanyahu and Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz quickly described the incident as a “terrorist” attack. It further said that Netanyahu later likened the episode to the September 11 attacks, alleged that the Omani co-pilot had undergone “radical indoctrination” and raised the possibility of Iranian involvement.
Israeli embassy in Australia condemns ‘flydubai false flag’ conspiracies
The Israeli Embassy in Australia has criticised conspiracy theories circulating online about the flydubai attack, saying they have portrayed Jewish people as being responsible, The Guardian reported. In a statement, the embassy condemned the “anti-Semitic ‘false flag’ conspiracy theories” alleging that Israel staged the attack.
Trump claimed possibility of Iranian involvement
A day after a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight was disrupted by a cockpit incident, US President Donald Trump suggested that Iran could be linked to the flydubai episode. Trump said the answer appeared to be “yes” based on information he had received, while stressing that the matter was still being verified.
Asked by a reporter whether he had been briefed about a possible connection between the alleged attacker and Iran, Trump said his team was investigating the matter.
“We’re working on that right now. We’ll be very open with it. Uh, I would say the answer based on what I’m hearing is yes, but we’re working on it right now,” Trump said.
When asked whether the United States would retaliate against Iran if it were found to be responsible for the attack, Trump said:: “Oh, they’ll be hit very hard, don’t worry.”
