'Let them take out LA, San Diego': Trump's Iran war remarks trigger row; California governor calls President 'deranged'

On September 30, an alarming incident unfolded on flydubai Flight FZ1073, a scheduled service from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft, piloted by Indian Captain Smit Machchhar, was subjected to a violent attack from its Omani co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami. Allegedly, al-Hammami aimed to seize control of the plane and carry out a catastrophic crash.

This attempted hijacking prompted the captain to make a rapid descent, plunging the aircraft approximately 16,000 feet within just two minutes. This precipitous drop forced the transmission of an emergency distress signal.

After Machchhar bravely broke through the cockpit door, he managed to restrain al-Hammami and prevent the catastrophe. The aircraft eventually performed an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, ensuring the safe arrival of all 180 passengers and crew members. The Indian pilot's swift actions have been widely commended, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailing him as a "hero of Israel, India, and the world."

However, the question of who was responsible for this harrowing incident remains unanswered. At the White House, US President Donald Trump emphatically stated that he believed Iran was behind the attack. He emphatically declared, "I do. I personally do," signaling a direct assertion of Iranian involvement. However, Vice President JD Vance has not yet seen sufficient evidence to substantiate Trump's claim.

Vance's caution was echoed by reports from Hebrew media outlets and The Times of Israel, which suggested that al-Hammami had planned to crash the aircraft into an airport facility or a parked plane in Israel. These reports posited that al-Hammami intended to incapacitate Machchhar, maintain a normal flight, secure landing authorizations, and then crash the aircraft into an airport facility or a parked aircraft.

Despite these claims, Vance and others remain skeptical, emphasizing the need for concrete evidence. Trump's assertion, however, underscores the ongoing investigation into the incident and the potential implications of Iran's alleged involvement.