A British shipping monitoring organization says that the threat environment in the Middle East “remains elevated” as U.S. President Donald Trump warns more strikes on Iran are possible.
“No diplomatic resolution has been achieved and the regional threat environment remains elevated,” the UK Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) said in a weekly report released on Friday. “Commercial vessels continue to be targeted on the southern route, with ongoing military activity sustaining an increased risk to maritime operations.”
The organization added that there is a “severe” risk to commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s crude oil has flowed, due to “continued navigation interference and potential mining activity.” A “moderate” risk also exists in both the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, it added.
It comes as the co-pilot of an Israel-bound FlyDubai flight from Dubai allegedly stabbed the pilot and then apparently tried to crash the jetliner carrying around 170 people, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Passengers and crew subdued the attacker, and the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
Flight FZ1073 was carrying 174 passengers, with most on board being Israeli nationals. Israeli officials said the attempted hijacking sent the aircraft into a descent of nearly 14,000 feet in fewer than 30 seconds.
Saudi authorities arrested and are now questioning the co-pilot. FlyDubai stated that the circumstances remain unclear and cautioned against premature speculation.
On Thursday, Trump told reporters that if it’s revealed that Iran was behind the alleged attempt to hijack the plane, “They’ll be hit very hard. Don’t worry.”
On whether he thinks Tehran is behind the attack, Trump said, “I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is yes, but we’re working on it right now.”
Trump, in a Time magazine interview that was published Thursday, also raised the prospect of new strikes against Iran and said it’s possible that he could ramp up bombing following the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
When pressed, the U.S. president said he could not go into further detail about his strategy. “I can’t tell you that because look, you know, you’re asking, where are you going to bomb?” Trump said, according to a transcript of his interview.
On Friday, a top official in the United Arab Emirates praised the captain, Smit Machchhar, for his actions in keeping the plane from crashing, according to a post he made on X.
This screengrab taken from a handout video footage via AFPTV on Sept. 30, 2026, shows passengers inside the rerouted flydubai flight FZ 1073, ahead of its departure to Tel Aviv from Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk airport. AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images
Anwar Mohammed Gargash, a presidential adviser in the country, said the pilot “deserves every bit of appreciation, for he embodied the meaning of courage and responsibility in the face of a dangerous terrorist act and a potential disaster,” according to a translation.
“His professionalism and moral sense in the darkest of circumstances make him a true hero,” he said, adding that “vigilance and caution remain essential in confronting the risks of extremism and terrorism.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
