Trump says Iran will be hit 'very hard' if it is behind copilot who tried to crash flight to Israel

President Donald Trump warned Thursday that Iran would be struck “very hard” if it was linked to the copilot who tried to crash an Israel-bound FlyDubai flight, which carried 182 people, mostly Israelis. Trump made the comments as investigators worked to determine why the copilot stabbed the captain, prompting the plane to plunge before passengers intervened, seized control, and landed in Saudi Arabia. Asked at the White House whether he had been briefed about any Tehran links, Trump said, “We’re working on it right now,” adding that based on what he was hearing the answer was “yes.” He also said the US would not let Iran escape retaliation. Diplomatic efforts to end the war appear stalled, while the US has dispatched about 9,000 troops to the Middle East, potentially including up to three carriers.