Donald Trump raised the stakes over the FlyDubai crash axe case on Friday, saying Iran would be hit very hard if investigators link Tehran to the suspected hijacking attempt of a flight bound for Israel. He spoke after the alleged mid-flight attack had already turned an aviation-security incident into a potential trigger for U.S. strikes.
At his midterm campaign rally in Mobile, Alabama, on Oct. 2, 2026, Trump said: “Their economy is down the tubes. They have one thing they really do have. It's called inflation. They have about 310% inflation. And we'll see what happens,” and later added: “But as soon as we it's going to end very soon, probably right after the election. But as soon as it does end, oil prices will come tumbling down.”
Oman Air and the co-pilot
The FlyDubai co-pilot accused in the mid-flight attack had been grounded by Oman Air in 2024 after the airline discovered he had been visiting radical Islamic websites. That background sits beside the central question now: whether the suspicion around the cockpit attack connects the man accused in the incident to Tehran at all.
Trump’s warning tied the alleged hijacking attempt to the broader conflict involving Iran, where the U.S. and international partners have also reaffirmed measures targeting Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. On the same Friday, a tanker crossing the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unknown projectile, and UKMTO assessed hostile action in the Strait of Hormuz as highly likely.
Tehran and the U.S. response
The president said the U.S. would target Iran very hard if a link is established between Tehran and the alleged attacker. He also said 18 U.S. service members have been killed during the more than six-month conflict with Iran, and said the war with Iran would end very soon.
That sequence leaves the practical issue for investigators, airlines, and passengers on the FlyDubai route: what evidence, if any, links Tehran to the alleged attacker in the suspected hijacking attempt. Until that is answered, Trump’s threat remains a warning attached to a disputed connection, not a military response.
