The Omani national suspected of stabbing Indian Captain Smit Machchhar and attempting to crash a Flydubai flight carrying 174 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday has raised questions over how he was cleared to operate an Israel-bound flight, given that Oman and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations.
An Israeli official told The Times of Israel that the co-pilot had posted content on social media about killing Jews and had asked Emirati crew members to kill him during the incident. The official said the suspect appeared to have been radicalised into jihadist ideology, while stressing that the investigation was still ongoing.
“This was a person who was willing to commit suicide,” the official told The Times of Israel. “His social media accounts [say] clearly that he has been radicalised into jihadist ideology. He talks about killing Jews.”
Israeli Prime Minister separately alleged the attacker had undergone radical Islamist indoctrination, while cautioning that it was too early to establish whether he had any links to Iran.
The incident has prompted scrutiny of the security procedures that allowed an national to serve as co-pilot on a bound flight.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Flydubai’s agreement to operate flights in Israel explicitly requires pilots to be from countries that have normalised relations with Israel. Oman is reportedly not among those countries.
“This is a clear breach of the agreement,” a source cited by the Post said, adding that the Shin Bet should examine how the pilot was permitted to operate the flight.
The Post also reported that the Mossad, Shin Bet, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Transport Ministry have opened a joint investigation. The probe is examining whether there were any indications of an attack before the flight and how an Omani pilot was cleared to operate the aircraft.
Flydubai has said that the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation and has declined to comment further.
No. Israel’s Foreign Ministry lists Oman among the countries with which it does not have diplomatic relations.
However, the absence of formal diplomatic ties has not meant that there have been no contacts between the two countries.
Oman established diplomatic dialogue with Israel in 1993 and hosted former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1994. More than two decades later, Netanyahu made a surprise visit to Muscat in October 2018, where he met Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Netanyahu’s office said at the time that the visit followed lengthy contacts between the two countries.
No. Oman did not establish diplomatic relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords.
The 2020 agreements established or advanced normalisation between Israel and countries including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, while Oman remained outside the accords.
The distinction is significant in the Flydubai case because the UAE, unlike Oman, established diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020. The Flydubai aircraft involved in Wednesday’s incident was operating from Dubai, the UAE’s main aviation hub, to Tel Aviv.
There is no standard visa-free travel arrangement between Oman and Israel. Israel’s official visa information lists Oman among countries whose nationals require a visa for entry.
This is different from the UAE-Israel relationship, which has included direct flights and expanded travel links since their 2020 normalisation agreement.
Oman’s foreign policy has traditionally emphasised dialogue, mediation and maintaining channels with different regional actors.
Oman’s Foreign Ministry says the country established diplomatic dialogue with Israel in 1993, while also highlighting its longstanding role in facilitating dialogue involving Iran. Oman played a role in efforts that helped facilitate the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement and has maintained close diplomatic engagement with Tehran.
That approach remains visible in 2026. Oman’s Foreign Ministry has continued high-level engagement with Iran, including talks on regional security and diplomacy. In January, Omani and Iranian officials discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation and using dialogue and diplomacy to address regional differences.
In June, Oman and Iran also reaffirmed cooperation on the Strait of Hormuz and maintaining dialogue over navigation and regional stability.
Meanwhile, Israeli authorities are investigating the security aspects of the case, while the UAE and Saudi Arabia are also involved in examining the incident. The underlying motive and circumstances remain subject to formal investigation, and Flydubai has cautioned against premature speculation.
