US President Donald Trump has warned that Iran could face a strong military response if it is found to have been involved in an alleged attack aboard a Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

Trump made the comments on Thursday as authorities in the United Arab Emirates investigated the incident, which forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump was asked whether Iran was involved. He replied that, based on what he was hearing, the answer was yes, while stressing that investigations were still ongoing.

Asked whether the US would retaliate if Iran was found responsible, Trump said Iran would be “hit very hard”.

Investigation underway

The incident occurred when the aircraft’s co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain during the flight, triggering a struggle for control of the plane.

Saudi authorities said the co-pilot was subsequently transferred to the UAE under the supervision of an Emirati security team. Initial findings indicated that he had attacked the aircraft’s captain.

Passengers reportedly rushed towards the cockpit as the aircraft rapidly lost altitude. According to Flightradar24 data cited by Channels Television, the plane lost about 17,000 feet in roughly one minute.

The aircraft eventually landed safely in Saudi Arabia before the passengers, most of whom were Israeli, were flown back to Israel on a replacement flight.

The UAE chief prosecutor said investigators would examine whether the incident involved terrorist activity or intent.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the suspect had undergone what he described as “Islamist radical indoctrination”. He also identified the co-pilot as an Omani national.

Israeli officials have described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack, although Netanyahu previously said investigators had not ruled out other explanations.

Captain and passengers praised

The captain, Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was praised for his role in helping prevent the aircraft from crashing.

Netanyahu described Machchhar’s actions as extraordinarily brave, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him a “HERO”.

The Indian Embassy in the UAE said the injured captain was recovering well.

Passengers were also credited with helping overpower the co-pilot and regain control of the aircraft.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he would honour five Israeli passengers who helped restrain the co-pilot.

Flydubai has suspended flights to Israel while investigations continue.

US military buildup

Trump’s warning comes amid reports of increased US military deployments in the Middle East.

Channels Television, citing Axios, reported that additional Patriot missile batteries had recently been deployed to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to protect key energy facilities against possible Iranian retaliation.

The report also said the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and its strike group were heading towards the Middle East, potentially joining two other US carrier strike groups already in the region.