Israel Weighs Iran or Lone Wolf in Dubai Flight Attack

Israeli security officials are investigating an attempted attack on a flight from Dubai to Israel, with possibilities ranging from Iranian involvement to a lone actor. While Saudi Arabian authorities are not directly sharing investigation details, Israel is gathering intelligence from passenger debriefings, the Shin Bet, Mossad, and the UAE. Due to diplomatic sensitivities with the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Israel is refraining from public statements but is considering all scenarios, including Iranian backing of the attack through proxies. Security officials are also examining passenger accounts that the pilot, identified as Omani, expressed a desire to die during the takeover attempt, possibly linked to reports of his religious radicalization.

Israel expects direct Shin Bet involvement in the investigation now that Saudi Arabia has confirmed the Omani pilot was transferred to the UAE. This involvement aims to determine if the pilot acted alone or was part of a larger terrorist organization or state-sponsored plot. The Saudi Interior Ministry stated the pilot is being handed over to the UAE, along with an injured Indian pilot, after medical clearance. Initial investigations suggest the co-pilot attacked the captain, leading to their injuries.

This incident follows recent warnings from the Head of the Shin Bet to the Ministry of Transportation about lax security in the UAE, urging additional screening measures. Direct flights by Israeli companies were previously not approved due to security risks, though concerns were raised about chartered flights with foreign pilots operating between the UAE and Israel. A security official stressed the need for a swift resolution to facilitate the return of thousands of Israelis in the UAE, while also investigating potential breaches of agreements by FlyDubai.

Questions remain about how Omani-national pilots could depart the UAE for Israel without security agencies' knowledge and who was responsible for oversight. Concurrently, the IDF and security establishment have warned of Iranian, Hezbollah, and Hamas efforts to retaliate for targeted killings of senior figures over the past three years, seeking vulnerabilities to strike Israeli interests globally and domestically. In response, security measures have been heightened for the movements of senior officials and soldiers worldwide. Recent reports indicate that attempts to establish terror infrastructures targeting Israelis, including soldiers, have been thwarted through joint efforts by the IDF, Shin Bet, Mossad, and Israeli Police. The Mossad and Shin Bet have launched independent investigations into the pilot to ascertain any state or organizational backing for the incident.