Omani Pilot Transferred to UAE; Israel Prepares Investigation Team

The Omani pilot who attempted to crash a Flydubai flight has been transferred from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi authorities announced. The flight, FZ 1073, was carrying 180 passengers, most of whom were Israeli.

Israel intends to participate in the investigation in the UAE and is preparing to send an investigative team to question the pilot, whom Israeli officials believe to be a terrorist. While Israel currently assesses that Iran was not involved in the incident, they have not entirely ruled out Iranian involvement, contrary to statements by President Donald Trump.

The UAE is reportedly angered by Israel's premature declaration of the incident as a terrorist attack before the investigation's conclusion, fearing damage to their international standing. However, Saudi Arabia, which conducted an initial investigation of the pilot, also acknowledged the act as a terrorist incident.

President Trump stated that based on what he had heard, Iran was involved and that the US would respond forcefully if Iranian involvement was confirmed. He also suggested the pilot might have been placed by the Revolutionary Guards, adding that the US was still investigating.