U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that there are signs the Omani co-pilot who tried to bring down a Flydubai plane headed for Israel had links to Iran, and that if such links are confirmed, the country will face a severe retaliatory response.
A Flydubai-owned “Boeing 737 Max” aircraft carrying 174 passengers departed last Wednesday from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates for Tel Aviv, Israel.
While the plane was flying midair, the co-pilot from Oman suddenly stabbed Indian Captain Smith Machar with a knife and changed the controls with the intention of bringing the aircraft down. As a result, the plane, which had been flying at an altitude of 34,000 feet, dropped to below about 17,000 feet within the next few minutes and began to wobble.
Later, with the intervention of passengers and crew, the aircraft was brought back under control. Even in the tense situation, leaders have been showering praise on Smith Machar’s bravery for opening the cockpit door and averting a major disaster.
The co-pilot is in UAE custody: Meanwhile, the co-pilot who was arrested after the plane was safely landed in Saudi Arabia has now been handed over to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In connection with this incident, not only the UAE but also Israel has launched an investigation.
In that context, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who raised suspicions that Iran was behind the co-pilot, also said that investigators believe the co-pilot was subjected to terrorist brainwashing.
If there is a connection, there will be a strong response: In this situation, speaking to reporters at the White House about this, Trump said, “As far as I have heard, I believe there is a connection between the deputy pilot who carried out the attack and Iran.
But we are continuing to investigate this. If the connection is confirmed, the United States will respond strongly; do not worry about that,” he said.
The United States amassing troops in West Asia
With U.S. President Donald Trump warning that new attacks may be carried out on Iran, the U.S. military has sent 9,000 troops to West Asia.
For this purpose, the Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier (pictured), the USS Chosin, and the Makin Island amphibious ready group have rushed toward West Asia. As a result, for the first time since April 2003, three American aircraft carriers may be stationed in West Asia by the end of October.
At present, the two aircraft carriers George H.W. Bush and George Washington are there. The George Washington, which had been operating in the Pacific Ocean, has now been redeployed to West Asia in place of the Abraham Lincoln, which had remained at sea for more than 260 days.
Similarly, it has also been reported that, including the troops already stationed in West Asia, the number of U.S. military personnel in the region will unusually exceed 20,000.
