Speaking to reporters, Trump was quoted by CBS News as saying, “We're working on it right now.”

Asked whether the co-pilot had links to Tehran, Trump said, “They're being very open with us. I would say the answer, based on what I'm hearing, is yes. But we're working on it right now.”

When asked whether the co-pilot could have been placed on the flight by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or radicalised through other means, Trump responded, “Could've been, yeah.”

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cautioned against drawing premature conclusions, saying it was “too early” to determine whether Iran was involved in the alleged attempt to crash the Tel Aviv-bound Flydubai flight or to definitively classify the incident as a “terror attack.”

Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu said investigators were still examining the incident, including the identity and possible motives of the alleged attacker.

“It's too early to say,” Netanyahu said when asked about possible Iranian involvement.

He added that the co-pilot was being investigated in Saudi Arabia and could subsequently be transferred to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for further questioning.

“The attacking pilot is now being investigated in Saudi Arabia. I think he'll be taken to the Emirates, where he comes from or at least where he flew off from, and we will be following and possibly also participating in this investigation,” Netanyahu said.

The remarks came after Flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia following a violent confrontation between the two pilots inside the cockpit.

According to reports, the incident began when the Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national and experienced commercial pilot. Machchhar reportedly sustained serious injuries during the confrontation.

The aircraft was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children, when the incident unfolded.

Passengers and crew members reportedly intervened after the cockpit door was unlocked. Israeli dentist Musaev Shota, who was travelling on the flight, said he helped restrain the alleged attacker before assisting the injured captain and attempting to stop his bleeding.

Despite his injuries, Machchhar reportedly managed to unlock the cockpit door before losing consciousness, allowing passengers and crew members to enter and help overpower the alleged attacker.

The aircraft also reportedly underwent a dramatic descent during the confrontation before control was regained and the flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing.

Investigators are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the cockpit confrontation, the alleged attacker's motives and any possible links to external actors. Any connection to Iran, however, remains unconfirmed based on the statements cited above.