Iran04 October, 20262 min read
Iran’s Esmaeil Baghaei Calls Flydubai Incident Link a False Flag Based On Fabricated Evidence
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Iran denies involvement, calls linkage to Flydubai incident a false flag. Claims rest on fabricated evidence, says spokesperson Esmaeil Baqa'i.
8 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Iran Reviews US Negotiation Proposals As Pakistan And Qatar Mediate Strait Of Hormuz Dispute →
Tehran Denies Link
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei rejected attempts to link Tehran to the flydubai incident, calling the claims a “false flag” based on “fabricated evidence.” Baghaei said the allegations must be viewed in light of Israel and some European countries’ “history of using false-flag operations,” and he added that Tehran was being accused “solely on the basis of fabricated evidence.”
Baghaei framed the dispute as part of a broader campaign against Iran, and he described the tactic as “This is a worn-out tactic.” Baghaei also said the latest claims were a “merely a reminder of an experience that the world has witnessed for itself over the past seven months,” according to his remarks at a press conference on Sunday.
Investigations and Claims
The United Arab Emirates is leading the investigation into the flydubai incident, and UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the co-pilot attacked the captain inside the flight deck with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft. News18 said the incident involved Flydubai flight FZ1073 traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, and it reported that the Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 was carrying 182 people when the incident unfolded on September 30.
News18 reported that passengers intervened and helped restrain the attacker, while other pilots helped stabilize the plane, and it said the aircraft was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing. Hindustan Times reported that the Omani co-pilot, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, attacked pilot-in-command Smit Machchhar mid-flight and attempted to crash flight FZ1073, while Machchhar was able to open the cockpit door even as the flight plunged about 14,000 feet.
Iran’s Broader Framing
Baghaei said Britain and others were using “false-flag operations,” and he argued that even children could see how “clumsily” anti-Iranian claims were constructed. تسنیم reported that Baghaei alleged Israeli and European supporters were seeking to divert attention from the situation in Gaza while creating the impression that Iran poses a threat to the world.
The Hindustan Times account said Baghaei dismissed any Iran links to the incident as “false flag,” and it described his response as being based on “fabricated evidence.” Al-Manar TV Lebanon carried Baghaei’s remarks that attempts to link the flydubai incident to Tehran were a “false flag,” as the dispute continued alongside other reports about regional developments.