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Israel will participate in the investigation and interrogation of the Omani national suspected of attacking the captain of Flydubai Flight FZ1073, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday. The Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight, carrying 174 people, diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after Captain Smit Machchhar was stabbed and the Boeing 737 MAX 8 descended nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. Netanyahu said investigators would examine whether Iran had any connection, while stressing that he had no evidence linking Tehran to the incident.

Details

• Crisis in cockpit: Israeli officials and passenger accounts said the co-pilot stabbed Machchhar, an Indian national, before trying to interfere with the controls. The aircraft transmitted emergency signals, initially raising fears of a hijacking and putting Israel’s security establishment on alert. Fighter aircraft were reportedly scrambled as authorities sought to determine whether the plane had been deliberately taken over.
• Passenger intervention: Despite serious wounds and significant blood loss, Machchhar unlocked the cockpit door, Netanyahu said. An Israeli passenger identified as Yaniv entered, found the suspect near the controls and pushed him away. Other passengers and a crew member restrained the man, while two reserve pilots travelling aboard helped stabilize the aircraft before its safe landing.
• Captain’s condition: Machchhar remains hospitalized in Saudi Arabia and has been reported stable. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised his courage, while Israel’s government said his actions helped save everyone aboard. Netanyahu described the intervention as preventing a potential “9/11 disaster” and said the suspect was being interrogated in Saudi Arabia.
• Warning context: Netanyahu said a warning he issued the previous day about possible attacks before Israel’s election was not based on specific intelligence concerning FZ1073. He said information had been arriving about alleged plans by Iranian proxies, particularly Hezbollah and Hamas, to attack Israel and Israeli civilians abroad.
• Routes suspended: Flydubai temporarily suspended flights to and from Israel after a Shin Bet recommendation. Transportation Minister Miri Regev called for an examination of the airline’s compliance with aviation agreements and security requirements. Israeli authorities are examining the suspect’s background, documentation, recruitment and clearance, including how a crew member holding an Omani passport was authorized to operate an Israel-bound flight.
• Regional coordination: Netanyahu said UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed to Israeli participation in questioning. The flight began in Dubai, was bound for Israel and landed in Saudi Arabia, drawing all three governments into the response. Saudi authorities treated the injured pilots, and the suspect is expected to be transferred to the UAE.

What’s next

Israeli investigators will join questioning after the suspect’s expected transfer from Saudi Arabia to the UAE. The inquiry will examine his motive and possible links, alongside Flydubai’s recruitment, clearance and cockpit-security procedures.