Washington, Oct 2:
US President Donald Trump has suggested that the co-pilot accused of attacking an Indian captain aboard a flydubai flight may have links to Iran, while stressing that the matter was still being investigated.
Asked whether the attacker could have been placed on the aircraft by Iranâs Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or radicalised before attempting to bring down the plane, Trump said it âcould have beenâ the case. He added that his team was looking into a possible Iranian connection.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, said it was too early to establish any link with Iran or another organisation. He said the co-pilot appeared to have undergone Islamist radicalisation based on information investigators were gathering.
The Dubai-Tel Aviv flight was forced into an emergency after the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain and attempted to interfere with the aircraftâs controls. Passengers and crew members overpowered him, while a reserve crew later landed the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia.