Israel’s assessment is getting dramatic backing in Riyadh and Washington: a Saudi official briefed on the investigation and a senior U.S. official told NBC News that the stabbing and dive incident aboard the flight to Israel is shaping up as a planned terror attack. A Saudi embassy spokesperson confirmed investigators are examining possible links to Iran or the Houthis. New details on the terrifying moments in the sky: the Boeing plunged more than 14,000 feet in less than half a minute before passengers broke into the cockpit and subdued the Omani attacker.
2+A dramatic and significant turn in the investigation into the stabbing and attempted crash aboard Fly Dubai: suspicions that this was a deliberate terror attack targeting Israelis received its first official confirmation from outside Israel Thursday evening. A Saudi official briefed on the investigation’s findings and a senior U.S. official told NBC News that based on preliminary findings on the ground, the incident aboard Flight FZ1073 is clearly shaping up as a terror attack. Despite the progress, the identity of those who sent the attacker and the precise motive remain under intensive investigation.
2+According to the NBC News report, the evidence collected so far in Saudi Arabia significantly strengthens the line Israel’s security establishment has been pushing since the emergency landing at Tabuk airport. Saudi embassy spokesperson in the U.S. Hessa Al-Yahya confirmed to the network that the kingdom’s investigators are examining two main possibilities: whether this was a personal conflict that escalated between crew members in the cabin, or whether it was a hostile operation linked to Iran or its Houthi proxies in Yemen. She said further clarifications are expected within about 24 hours.
Meanwhile, a senior U.S. official involved in details of the Israeli investigation said that while the findings clearly point to an attempted attack carried out by the co-pilot—an Omani citizen—there is currently no direct evidence that Iran ordered or commanded the operation. Investigators are examining the possibility that the attacker acted as a “lone wolf” inspired by extremist ideology.
2+At the same time, the dimensions of the terror passengers experienced during the peak moments of the drama are becoming clear: data from the tracking site Flightradar24 shows that following the stabbing struggle in the cockpit, the Boeing 737 plunged a staggering 14,125 feet in just 29 seconds. Passengers reported screams, massive panic, and blood spattering in the cabin. A major disaster was averted thanks to the resourcefulness of the wounded Indian captain, Sumit Machehar, who managed to open the cockpit door, and four passengers—including Israeli Yaniv Hayon—who stormed inside, subdued the Omani suspect, and regained control of the aircraft until landing in Tabuk.
Fly Dubai, which has temporarily suspended its flights on the route to and from Israel, said it is awaiting official investigation findings before releasing final conclusions. The Omani suspect remains in custody in Saudi Arabia and continues to be interrogated by local security forces.