The Saudi Interior Ministry published a detailed statement on Thursday regarding the incident involving Flydubai flight FZ1073, which landed in Tabuk, and confirmed that an initial investigation found that the co-pilot attacked the captain.

That being said, the Saudi statement makes no mention of the fact that the plane was en route to Israel or that the majority of the passengers were Israeli nationals. The Saudis also did not mention the identities or nationalities of the two pilots, nor did they address the suspicion that it is a terror incident.

According to the Saudi Interior Ministry, the plane landed in Tabuk International Airport on Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. after it was authorized to make an emergency landing. There were 174 passengers and eight crew members on board, who received the necessary treatment after landing.

At 5:40 p.m., the passengers left Saudi Arabia on another Flydubai plane. The crew was also flown back to Dubai on a different plane belonging to the airline, except for the co-pilot and the captain, who were taken to the hospital for medical treatment.

The Saudis stated that the initial investigation was conducted together with a security team from the UAE. Per the initial findings, "the captain was attacked by his deputy, causing both of them to be injured."

The statement also revealed that the two pilots are no longer in Saudi Arabia. Following an improvement in their conditions and after medical personnel approved their transfer, they left the kingdom this morning for Abu Dhabi, accompanied by security personnel from the United Arab Emirates.

The Saudi account therefore refers to a confrontation between two crew members and their injuries, but does not detail the circumstances of the attack or its motive. It also does not address reports that the copilot is an Omani citizen or suspicions that he attempted to seize control of the aircraft and crash it.

A source familiar with the details said that Israeli authorities want to question the pilot in the coming days.

The Saudi Interior Ministry's statement comes as Israel and the United States are also examining the possibility of Iranian involvement in the incident. US President Donald Trump was asked this evening whether he had been informed that the Omani copilot was connected to Iran.

"I would say the answer, based on what I'm hearing, is yes, but we're working on that right now," Trump replied.

Asked whether the United States would retaliate against Iran if it emerged that Tehran was behind the incident, Trump responded: "Yes, they will be hit very hard - don't worry."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also told Fox News earlier that the possibility was being investigated.

"We will get to the bottom of this. We will investigate whether the pilot had accomplices and whether Iran was behind him. I think we will know very soon," Netanyahu said.

Flydubai flight FZ1073 departed Dubai for Tel Aviv with more than 150 Israelis on board. During the incident, an emergency code indicating unlawful interference with the flight was activated. Fighter jets were scrambled in Israel, and urgent security consultations were held.

According to passenger accounts, the copilot stabbed the captain, Smith Machchar, an Indian citizen. During the incident, the aircraft rapidly lost altitude, and passengers and crew members forced their way into the cockpit and overpowered the attacker. Israelis aboard the aircraft simultaneously provided medical treatment to the injured captain.

India's Foreign Ministry announced earlier today that Machchar, who initially received treatment at a hospital, had been transferred to Abu Dhabi for further treatment and recovery. India's ambassador to the UAE visited him in the hospital and reported that he was in good condition.

The Saudi authorities concluded their statement by emphasizing that the kingdom handles emergencies in accordance with its international and humanitarian obligations, and that its aviation and security authorities are prepared to respond quickly and effectively to unusual situations.