President Donald Trump warned Thursday that Iran will be hit “very hard” if investigators determine that Tehran was behind the attempted downing of a Flydubai flight carrying more than 170 people to Israel, saying information reaching him suggests that an Iranian connection is possible.

Trump issued the warning at the White House as Israeli, Emirati and Saudi authorities continued investigating the extraordinary attack aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073, in which an Omani copilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the Boeing 737 MAX before passengers and other crew members managed to intervene.

Asked by reporters whether Iran was involved in the attack on the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight, Trump replied: “I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is yes but we’re working on it right now,”

When Trump was then asked whether the United States would retaliate against Iran if investigators established that Tehran was responsible, he responded: “Oh, they’ll be hit very hard, don’t worry.”

Trump’s comments went further than the conclusions publicly announced thus far by investigators. Israeli officials said Thursday that no evidence establishing Iranian involvement had yet been found, and the possibility that the copilot acted alone remains under investigation.

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu said Thursday that investigators have learned that the Omani copilot had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination.” An Israeli official said the suspect’s social-media activity included references to killing Jews, while Netanyahu said the attacker appeared to have been suicidal.

New testimony from passengers who helped overpower the copilot has added to suspicions about his intentions. Yaniv Hayun, one of those who subdued him, said the attacker repeatedly called out “Kill me” after being restrained, which Hayun interpreted as an indication that the man believed his mission had failed.

The UAE has opened a criminal investigation into the incident, including whether the attack had a terrorist motive and whether the copilot acted independently or with assistance. The suspect and the wounded captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, have both since been transferred from Saudi Arabia to Abu Dhabi.

Israel’s Mossad and Shin Bet are also involved in examining the attack, including the suspect’s background, possible connections and how an Omani national came to be assigned as a copilot on a flight bound for Israel. Israeli authorities are seeking to participate in questioning the suspect.

The Iran question has become particularly explosive because of the continuing war between Washington and Tehran and Trump’s increasingly forceful warnings that the United States could launch another major round of strikes against the Islamic Republic.

In a Time magazine interview published Thursday, Trump said it was “possible” that the United States would resume intensified bombing of Iran following the November midterm elections.

The president was asked whether he would follow through on his recent threat to “annihilate” Iran, language he had also used during his address to the United Nations General Assembly last week.

“Yeah, I would do that. It’s possible,” Trump told Time. “Because by annihilating Iran, we’ve created peace in the world. With Iran, I don’t think you could ever have peace.”

Trump has maintained that the U.S. military campaign against Iran is aimed at preventing the Islamic Republic from developing a nuclear weapon. The conflict has continued for more than seven months, with Iran retaining significant influence over the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and periodically exchanging attacks with the United States and its regional allies.

Tensions are now rising further as the Pentagon prepares a substantial new military buildup in the Middle East. The United States is sending the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group to the region along with additional Marine Corps forces, a deployment expected to add approximately 9,000 to 10,000 American personnel.

Once the new forces arrive, the American military presence in the region could exceed 60,000 personnel. The Theodore Roosevelt is expected to join the USS George H.W. Bush and potentially the USS George Washington, creating a concentration of as many as three American aircraft-carrier strike groups in the region by late November.

The buildup comes as Trump weighs his next steps against Iran following months of fighting and unsuccessful attempts to secure a lasting diplomatic settlement. Iran, meanwhile, is reportedly preparing for a significantly broader response if the United States launches another major attack.

Against that already volatile backdrop, the investigation into Flight FZ1073 has taken on potentially enormous geopolitical significance. Israeli authorities currently believe the Omani copilot may have acted alone, but they have not ruled out the possibility that another party was involved.

The attack unfolded Wednesday after Flight FZ1073 departed Dubai for Tel Aviv with 174 passengers and eight crew members aboard. According to Israeli officials, the copilot attacked Machchhar inside the cockpit and then attempted to send the aircraft into a catastrophic dive.

Flight-tracking data showed the plane plunging nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. Despite suffering serious stab wounds, Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit, allowing passengers and crew members to rush inside and overpower the copilot. Two other qualified pilots who were aboard the aircraft subsequently helped bring the jet safely down in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

The passengers were later flown to Israel aboard a replacement aircraft, while Machchhar received emergency medical treatment before being transferred to Abu Dhabi. The copilot was also transferred to the UAE, where investigators are now attempting to establish precisely what motivated the attack and whether anyone else was involved.

The incident has also prompted Israel to tighten its scrutiny of foreign pilots operating flights into the country, while Flydubai temporarily suspended its Israel service as the investigation continues.

For Trump, however, the most consequential unanswered question is whether the trail ultimately leads beyond the individual attacker to Tehran. His warning Thursday made clear what he says the consequences would be if investigators establish such a connection: “Oh, they’ll be hit very hard, don’t worry.”

{Matzav.com}