New Delhi: Iran has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of orchestrating the Flydubai cockpit incident as a “false flag” operation, alleging that the episode was intended to strengthen Netanyahu politically and create a pretext for renewed confrontation with Iran.
The allegation was made in a report by Iran’s Press TV and has not been independently established. The claim comes as authorities continue investigating the September 30 incident involving Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv before making an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The UAE has formally opened an investigation into the incident, including its circumstances, motives and any possible connection to terrorist activity, prior planning or outside direction. The UAE government has also urged the public to rely on official information and avoid speculation while the investigation is under way.
Iran alleges Netanyahu-UAE plot
Press TV reported that the Flydubai incident “appears to have been part of a scenario concocted” by Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohamed. The report claimed that the alleged objective was to divert attention from political controversy surrounding the October 7 Hamas attack, strengthen Netanyahu’s political position and create conditions for renewed military action against Iran.
The Iranian report also linked the allegation to claims circulating online that the incident was deliberately staged. Those social media claims accused Israel, Mossad and Netanyahu of manufacturing the cockpit incident for political or military purposes.
However, there is currently no publicly established evidence that Netanyahu, Sheikh Mohamed or either government organised the attack. ABC News Verify reported that “false flag” claims spread rapidly on social media after the incident, while noting that the investigation was only in its early stages and that the motive and background of the alleged attacker had not yet been established.
The distinction is important because Iran’s allegation is a political claim, while the UAE investigation is still examining the facts of the incident.
What happened aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073
Flydubai flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 when an altercation occurred in the cockpit.
According to Israeli officials cited by Reuters, the Omani co-pilot attacked the captain during the flight. The aircraft subsequently went into a steep descent before passengers and crew intervened. The injured captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing people in the cabin to enter and help restrain the attacker.
The aircraft was then diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
Reuters reported that the aircraft was carrying more than 170 people. The incident prompted investigations involving Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Israel. The UAE’s Attorney-General ordered a specialised team to investigate the circumstances and causes of the incident.
The investigation is also examining whether the incident involved terrorist intent, advance planning or direction from another party.
Netanyahu raises terrorism and radicalisation claims
Netanyahu has described the incident as a serious security attack and said the Omani co-pilot had undergone what he called “radical Islamist indoctrination”.
Reuters reported that Israeli security officials believed the co-pilot acted alone, although investigations by Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were continuing. Reuters also reported that no evidence had been found linking Iran to the attack at the time of its report.
Israel’s embassy in Australia separately described the incident as an attempted jihadist terror attack. The embassy said information obtained during interrogation indicated that the attacker had undergone Islamist radical indoctrination and was likely intending to bring down the aircraft.
Those assessments represent the Israeli position and remain part of an ongoing investigation.
Iran’s Press TV account disputes that interpretation and instead presents the incident as an alleged operation involving Israel and the UAE.
Israel rejects false flag claims
The Israeli government has rejected allegations that the Flydubai incident was staged.
Israel’s embassy in Australia has condemned what it described as anti-Semitic “false flag” conspiracy theories circulating online. The embassy said the claims falsely accused Israel of organising the attack.
ABC News Verify also reported that several false narratives emerged on social media in the hours after the incident, including claims that Israel had planned the event. It identified a number of posts that had gained significant engagement despite the absence of evidence establishing such a plot.
The rapid spread of competing narratives has added another layer to an incident whose factual investigation is still under way.
Iran connection remains unproven
The question of whether Iran was connected to the Flydubai incident has also become part of the political dispute.
Iran’s Press TV report alleged that the supposed operation was designed to introduce an Iranian connection into the narrative and create a justification for renewed confrontation with Tehran.
At the same time, Israeli officials have raised the possibility of Iranian involvement. Reuters reported that Netanyahu had suggested Iran could potentially have been involved, while also reporting that Israeli security assessments had not found evidence linking Iran to the attack.
These competing claims should not be treated as established findings. The UAE’s official investigation specifically includes determining whether the incident had a terrorist connection and whether it involved prior planning or direction.
Trump says Iran link is being examined
US President Donald Trump has also raised the possibility of an Iranian connection to the cockpit incident.
According to the account supplied in the report, Trump said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, “could have been” responsible and said the United States was examining the possibility.
Trump also warned that Iran would face a strong response if investigators established that Tehran was connected to the attack.
Such comments add to the geopolitical significance of the incident, but they do not establish Iranian responsibility. Any determination about the involvement of Iran or another organisation would depend on evidence emerging from the ongoing investigations.
Netanyahu’s political context becomes part of the allegation
Iran’s Press TV report connected its allegation to Netanyahu’s domestic political position and the upcoming Israeli election.
It claimed that the incident could help reinforce Netanyahu’s security-focused political messaging and divert attention from controversy surrounding the October 7 Hamas attack.
The timing has also been highlighted by other reporting. Al Jazeera noted that the incident gave Netanyahu another opportunity to emphasise security concerns ahead of Israel’s vote, while also stressing that the motive behind the Flydubai incident remained unclear.
That political context, however, does not establish that the incident was deliberately staged.
UAE investigation could provide further answers
The UAE has taken formal responsibility for investigating the incident because the aircraft is registered in the country.
Its Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Attorney-General had ordered a team of specialised Public Prosecution officials to investigate the circumstances and causes of the incident. The probe will examine possible terrorist intent, prior planning and whether the attack was directed by another party.
The UAE has also thanked Saudi authorities for their handling of the aircraft after it landed in Tabuk.
The investigation is therefore expected to examine both the immediate cockpit confrontation and the wider circumstances surrounding the alleged attack.
For now, Iran’s allegation that Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohamed orchestrated a false flag operation remains unverified. Israel has rejected the allegation, while the UAE has called for speculation to be avoided until its investigation is completed.
The competing claims have turned the Flydubai incident into a wider geopolitical dispute involving Israel, Iran, the UAE and the United States. Further findings from the investigations will be needed to determine the motive behind the cockpit attack and whether anyone beyond the co-pilot was involved.