Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry said on Thursday that the flydubai co-pilot suspected of attacking the captain on an Israel-bound flight has been transferred to the United Arab Emirates.
According to the ministry, both the captain and the co-pilot left the kingdom for Abu Dhabi on Thursday morning after their health improved and medical teams cleared them for travel. They were accompanied by an Emirati security team. The initial investigation indicated that the co-pilot had attacked the captain.
US President Donald Trump said Iran may be linked to the co-pilot involved in the incident. When asked whether he had been briefed on any connection between the pilot and Tehran, he replied that officials were “working on it right now.” He added that, based on what he was hearing, the answer appeared to be yes, though the matter was still under review.
Asked if the United States would retaliate against Tehran if it was found to be behind the attack, Trump said they would be “hit, very hard.”
The comments came as investigations into the mid-air incident continued following the emergency landing of the flight in Saudi Arabia.