Trump threatens Iran over flydubai plane attack; Tehran says Netanyahu staged plot

An alleged terror plot on flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv in Israel, has caused a stir around the world. The aircraft carried 174 passengers and crew, most of them Israeli citizens. Shortly after take-off, a bloody incident took place in the cockpit. The United States, Israel and Iran are now directly pitted against one another, raising the risk of war in the Middle East.

The courage and presence of mind of the chief pilot, Captain Smit Machhar, who is of Indian origin, are being widely discussed. On Wednesday, after the plane took off, the co-pilot, who is of Omani origin, suddenly attacked Captain Machhar with a knife in a bid to kill him. The co-pilot's aim was to bring the aircraft down and cause a major disaster.

Captain Machhar was gravely wounded and covered in blood, but he did not give up. He somehow managed to open the cockpit door. As soon as it opened, alert passengers rushed into the cockpit, overpowered the co-pilot and tied him to a seat. With the help of a passenger, the injured Captain Machhar then landed the plane safely at an airport in Saudi Arabia. The lives of 174 people were saved.

The incident is also visibly affecting international politics. US President Donald Trump has taken the matter seriously and issued a direct warning to Iran. Speaking to the media, Trump said, "We are investigating this entire incident closely. Going by the initial information, the strong possibility of Iran's hand in it cannot be ruled out. If the investigation proves that Iran was involved in this plot, America will not sit quiet. We will launch a massive attack on Tehran and destroy the whole of Iran." Trump's aggressive stance has heightened concern across the world.

Iran, on the other hand, has categorically denied any role in the incident and has rejected all allegations by the US and Israel. Iranian officials have made a startling claim: that the plot to hijack the flydubai plane was hatched by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself.

Iran alleges that Netanyahu fears defeat in Israel's coming elections and that, in the present political situation, it will be hard for his coalition to win a majority. It alleges that, to save his position and drag the US into a new war with Iran, Netanyahu devised this pre-planned plot.

Iran also said in its claim that just three days before the incident, Prime Minister Netanyahu had visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE), accompanied by several senior Israeli military and intelligence officials. Iran alleges that the alleged hijacking plan was discussed and finalised during this visit. However, Iran has not produced any concrete evidence to support its claim. US and Israeli intelligence agencies are currently investigating the entire matter closely.