Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency claimed Wednesday that Israel is planning a "false flag" attack on aircraft or airports in the region in order to blame the Islamic Republic, hours after a suspected terror attack aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Fars, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Iranian security agencies had received intelligence about a scenario allegedly proposed by the Mossad to the Prime Minister's Office, involving an operation against aircraft or airports in the region. According to the report, the goal was to "create a mass-casualty incident and provide the grounds for attributing responsibility for it to Iran," CBS News reported. Fars provided no evidence for the claim.
Fars reported separately on the flydubai incident, CBS noted.
The claim came as Israeli security officials investigate possible Iranian involvement in the incident. A senior Israeli security official told i24NEWS that "if it turns out that Iran is behind the incident, it will pay dearly for it," adding that "a disaster was averted here that could have become Israel's 9/11."
Flight FZ1073 made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday morning after the plane plunged about 18,000 feet and transmitted emergency and hijack codes. Israeli officials suspect the Omani co-pilot stabbed the Emirati captain and tried to crash the aircraft, before off-duty pilots on board, aided by Israeli passengers, subdued him and landed the plane safely. Both pilots were hospitalized with injuries, according to Tabuk Airport.
Iran has repeatedly accused Israel of staging "false flag" operations, a tactic analysts say Tehran uses to preempt blame for attacks attributed to it or its proxies.
