Foreign reports claim a connection between Iran and Pakistan in the attempted hijacking of a Tel Aviv-bound Flydubai flight, citing an Omani co-pilot's visit to Pakistan in August and a meeting with a pro-Iranian religious leader.
Foreign reports, cited by The Zioneer Intelligence Desk, allege that the Omani co-pilot who attempted to hijack the Flydubai flight on September 30 visited Pakistan in August and met with a pro-Iranian religious leader, suggesting a possible Iran-Pakistan connection in the attack. The claim, if substantiated, could contradict an earlier Israeli intelligence assessment that ruled out Iranian direction and characterized the suspect as a lone actor influenced by Islamist radicalization.
The UAE Attorney General ordered a special investigation team on Thursday morning (October 1, 10:25 Jerusalem) to probe the incident amid suspicions of a terror motive, with the UAE Foreign Ministry later confirming that the aircraft's registration in the Emirates grants jurisdiction. The Omani co-pilot was transferred from Saudi Arabia to the UAE by Thursday evening, a senior Israeli official confirmed (21:39 Jerusalem). Israel announced it would send a delegation to the UAE in the coming days to assist in the investigation, as reported by i24 News. The Zioneer reported on September 30 (23:14 Jerusalem) that the co-pilot allegedly planned to crash the plane into Israeli territory while flying over Jordan, aiming to kill more than 160 Israeli passengers on board, and on October 2 (04:11 Jerusalem) that Israeli intelligence had assessed no direct Iranian link.
The Zioneer has also reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu stated the suspect underwent "Islamist radical indoctrination," and that Mossad Director Roman Gofman is coordinating the Israeli response with Saudi and UAE authorities. Saudi authorities continue their own investigation and have stated that airport operations in Tabuk were unaffected.
The new reports regarding a Pakistan-Iran connection remain unverified and have not been confirmed by official Israeli or Gulf sources. The suspect has not been formally charged. The UAE investigation is examining whether the incident involved premeditated planning or terrorist intent.
4 developments
- DevelopingIsrael Hayom reports new details linking Flydubai hijacking suspect to Iran
- ConfirmedFlydubai co-pilot reportedly targeted Tel Aviv-bound flights months before attack, sought airlines flying to Israel
- StrongShin Bet investigating terrorist who attempted to hijack Flydubai flight
- DevelopingShin Bet representatives fly to UAE to participate in interrogation of Omani pilot
Source and signal
- Open-source intake