According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a FlyDubai pilot bound for Israel was stabbed by a co-pilot in what appears to be an attempted hijacking of the aircraft. The wounded pilot, identified as Smit Machchhar, an Indian citizen, managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to subdue the assailant.

The flight, FZ1073, traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was forced to make an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia after the incident was contained. Netanyahu commended the injured pilot, stating, “Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker — preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster. He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals.”

FlyDubai released a statement confirming an altercation took place in the cockpit but did not provide specifics about the stabbing. The airline emphasized that the motives behind the confrontation remain unclear and urged against speculation.

The attacker, whose identity has not been disclosed, is currently in custody and undergoing questioning by Saudi authorities. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh confirmed via social media that Machchhar is receiving treatment at a hospital in Tabuk and is in stable condition.

Netanyahu also praised a passenger named Yaniv Hayun, who helped storm the cockpit to stop the pilot, describing him as a “hero” deserving of “a global medal of honor.”

Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 reported that the aircraft experienced severe altitude changes prior to declaring a general emergency. The plane descended from over 14,000 feet within 29 seconds, with vertical speeds reaching as low as -30,000 feet per minute and as high as +10,000 feet per minute. For comparison, typical vertical speeds in routine flights rarely exceed ±4,000 feet per minute.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that Iran was implicated in the Sunday incident at the Royal Air Force base in Fairford, which resulted in the arrest of five men on suspicion of explosives and terrorism-related offenses.

In a BBC interview on Wednesday, Burnham remarked, “There are strong indications that Iran played a part in what unfolded over the weekend at RAF Fairford,” offering no further specifics. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded on X, telling Burnham he was “barking up the wrong tree.”

Situated in Gloucestershire, RAF Fairford serves as the U.S. Air Force’s forward command hub for European operations and for American strikes targeting Iranian missile sites.

Although London originally refused to let the United States use UK bases for its campaign against Iran, former Prime Minister Keir Starmer later authorized such use for what he described as “defensive strikes.”

Burnham’s BBC comments follow remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Fox News Monday, who said the RAF Fairford incident “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor,” without presenting any details or evidence.

On Monday, the Iranian Embassy in London issued a categorical denial of any connection between Tehran and the alleged plot.

All five detained individuals are British nationals aged between 23 and 25; one of them reportedly contacted police voluntarily. They have since been released on bail.

Iran’s delegation departs the United States after the UN General Assembly.

Separately, a U.S. official informed MS NOW that Rubio had “kicked out” the Iranian delegation as the UNGA concluded, claiming they had “overstayed their welcome.”

The officials, including Araghchi, left on Monday morning U.S. time, with the official adding, “UNGA was over, so it was time for them to go.”

Back-channel talks between Washington and Tehran concerning Iran’s nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz yielded no results during the UNGA session.

Tehran had put forward a seven‑day proposal at the UNGA that would open the Strait of Hormuz and restart nuclear negotiations with the United States, provided Washington reverted to the terms of the Islamabad framework.

The Islamabad memorandum of understanding signed in June produced a cease‑fire between the U.S. and Iran that fell apart in early July. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the Trump administration is unwilling to revive those June terms.

President Donald Trump dismissed the latest Iranian offer as “unacceptable” on Sunday, telling reporters that Tehran seeks a rapid agreement due to the economic pressure it faces.

— Verum’s Anniek Bao contributed to this report.

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