Trump points to Iran as possible culprit following violent plot by FlyDubai co-pilot en route to Tel Aviv

When asked by the press about this week's FlyDubai flight incident, President Donald Trump, speaking from the South Lawn of the White House, suggested that the attacker might be linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

"We're working on it right now," the president said when asked about the possible connection. "They're being very open with us. I'd say the answer, based on what I'm hearing, is yes. But we're working on it right now."

The president also did not rule out the possibility that the co-pilot had been strategically placed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or had been radicalized beforehand, limiting himself to replying, "It could have been, yes."

Faced with the possibility that the Iranian regime's involvement in the sabotage might be confirmed, Trump warned of direct consequences for Tehran. "Oh, they'll be hit very hard," the president asserted. "Don't worry. Just ask them; they know what's going on. They'll be hit very hard."

Ongoing investigations and disagreements over the motive

The U.S. president's statements take a firmer stance than that initially expressed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who told CBS News that it is still "too early to say" whether the regime in Tehran was behind the plot.

During a television interview, Netanyahu characterized the incident more as an alleged suicide attempt than as a traditional kidnapping, confirming that the suspect is being interrogated by authorities on Saudi territory.

However, in subsequent statements to Fox News, the Israeli prime minister clarified the individual's profile by indicating that Israel was aware that the co-pilot had undergone a process of "radical Islamist indoctrination."

Although official authorities have not yet revealed the identity of the attacker, diplomatic sources in Oman told CBS News that the co-pilot was born in that country and holds Omani citizenship, pending public confirmation by the government in Muscat.

This serious incident in the skies over the Middle East adds a new source of regional tension. While intelligence teams in Washington, Jerusalem and Riyadh are cross-referencing information to determine who is responsible for the plot, the U.S. administration has made it clear that it will respond forcefully to any attempt at aerial sabotage sponsored by regimes in the region.