U.S. President Donald Trump says the Flydubai co-pilot accused of trying to bring down the Israel-bound flight may have ties to Iran. Asked whether he had been briefed on a possible Iranian connection, Trump said…

U.S. President Donald Trump says the Flydubai co-pilot accused of trying to bring down the Israel-bound flight may have ties to Iran. Asked whether he had been briefed on a possible Iranian connection, Trump said, "Based on what I'm hearing, the answer is yes," while stressing the matter is still being investigated. Asked whether the co-pilot could have been placed or radicalized by Iran's IRGC, Trump responded, "Could have been, yeah." No Iranian connection has been publicly confirmed, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier Thursday that it remains "too early" to determine whether Iran was involved.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the FlyDubai incident in several interviews with U.S. networks, giving new details about the investigation. Speaking to CBS Evening News, Netanyahu said, "I don't think it was…

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the FlyDubai incident in several interviews with U.S. networks, giving new details about the investigation. Speaking to CBS Evening News, Netanyahu said, "I don't think it was a hijacking," adding that the incident appeared to be a suicide attempt based on what passengers saw inside the cockpit. He stressed that the motive had not yet been determined. Speaking to CNN, Netanyahu said the actions of the wounded Indian pilot, Israeli passengers and reserve pilots prevented what he described as "a 9/11 disaster." He said Israel had no specific advance warning of the incident and that the UAE had agreed to Israeli participation in the investigation. Netanyahu said it was still too early to determine whether Iran was connected. Speaking to Fox & Friends, Netanyahu said the co-pilot had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination" and appeared to have been suicidal. He said investigators should know "within a matter of days" whether the suspect had connections to Iran or anyone else, while stressing that he was not yet drawing a final conclusion.

President Isaac Herzog will recommend four Israelis who helped prevent disaster aboard Wednesday's flydubai flight for Israel's Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism, his office announced Thursday. Yaniv Hayoun, Dr…

President Isaac Herzog will recommend four Israelis who helped prevent disaster aboard Wednesday's flydubai flight for Israel's Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism, his office announced Thursday. Yaniv Hayoun, Dr. Shota Musayev, Zvika Manes and Asaf Rajuan are being recognized for their actions after one pilot allegedly stabbed the other and the aircraft began rapidly losing altitude. According to the President's Office, Captain Smit Machchhar fought the attacker and opened the cockpit, allowing several passengers to rush in and overpower him. Hayoun helped steady the aircraft, while Musayev treated the seriously wounded pilot until the emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Herzog told the four that they had "put yourselves at risk to save others and prevented a terrible disaster," adding that their actions showed "the beautiful and courageous face of Israeli society." He also praised Captain Machchhar, saying his actions helped save many lives. Musayev stressed that the rescue was a collective effort, saying, "We were all heroes," while Rajuan said those involved acted largely on instinct "to survive, to save the family, the people, and the children." The Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism is Israel's highest civilian recognition for acts of heroism involving serious personal risk to save others.

Reports say Israel has suspended Flydubai flights to Ben Gurion Airport for six days, with the halt potentially being extended as the investigation continues. Transportation Minister Miri Regev also reportedly accused…

Reports say Israel has suspended Flydubai flights to Ben Gurion Airport for six days, with the halt potentially being extended as the investigation continues. Transportation Minister Miri Regev also reportedly accused Flydubai of breaching Israel-UAE aviation rules and demanded that Israeli carriers be allowed to resume flights to Dubai with Israeli security screening.