Flight to Tel Aviv diverted to Saudi Arabia after potential terror incident in cockpit, Israeli security source says
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A FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia Wednesday morning after an incident took place inside the cockpit, an Israeli security source told ABC News.
An Israeli security source confirmed to ABC News there was a violent altercation on the flight and that Israel is investigating the incident as a potential terror incident.
The flight landed in Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia, after being diverted.
Israeli Prime Minister’s Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a post to X that Netanyahu “held consultations on the matter and is monitoring developments.”
“The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel,” Netanyahu’s office added.
The flight, which was carrying mostly Israeli passengers, took off at 7:05 a.m. local time from Dubai, according to Flightradar24.
Tracking data showed the aircraft descended rapidly from 34,000 to 16,000 feet in three minutes.
About 10 minutes after the initial descent, the plane’s squawk code — used by aircraft to communicate with air traffic control — changed to “general emergency.” Seven minutes after that, the squawk code changed again, indicating a hijacking or “unlawful interference.”
The aircraft then continued to fly lower at 15,000 feet on average until it landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, about an hour to an hour and a half after the rapid descent began and the emergency signals were sent.
FlyDubai confirmed that the flight “experienced an incident while en route,” and landed in Tabuk.
An Israeli security source confirmed to ABC News that the Israel Defense Forces recommended that a military aircraft be sent to repatriate Israeli passengers from Saudi Arabia.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Victoria Beaule and David Brennan contributed to this report.
Armed police maintain roadblocks and security checks around RAF Fairford, September 27, 2026, in Fairford, England. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
(LONDON) — British police announced on Sunday morning that five people were arrested “on suspicion of offenses under the explosives act” close to a major air base hosting U.S. forces in the southwest of England.
“A number of properties are currently being evacuated in the Whelford area following the declaration of a major incident,” Gloucestershire Police said in a statement. “It follows the arrest of several men on suspicion of offenses under the explosives act.”
The village of Whelford is located around 2 miles from RAF Fairford, which hosts the U.S. Air Force and has since February been serving as a key hub for American operations against Iran — including for heavy bombers like the B-1 Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress.
“The Army’s specialist explosive ordnance disposal team are currently examining a number of vehicles,” the police statement said.
President Donald Trump said that the suspects in the RAF Fairford counter-terrorism investigation had been under surveillance for a “long time,” telling reporters on Sunday that they were “looking to do big damage” to the U.S. Air Force base there.
“The arrest in the U.K. was fantastic. Working with Britain, it was an amazing job,” Trump told reporters on the tarmac in Illinois while on his way to the Presidents Cup golf tournament in Chicago.
“We had them under investigation,” Trump said. “They were looking to do big damage to our fort.”
The president did not address any potential motive behind the alleged plot.
The U.S. military has used RAF Fairford amid the ongoing war with Iran — though so far no connection to Iran has been confirmed or established by authorities.
“We had them under view for a long time, and we got them,” Trump added.
The White House did not respond to additional questions about the investigation.
Local residents were evacuated to a nearby recreation center, with a cordon put in place. “We believe this incident is contained,” police said. “We are working closely with our partners and are enacting the well-rehearsed plans we have in place.”
The U.S. Embassy in the U.K. issued a statement Sunday urging American citizens to “exercise caution and be mindful of personal security” in the country following Sunday’s arrests.
“We remind U.S. citizens that U.K. authorities rate the threat of terrorism in the U.K. as severe. U.S.-associated facilities, gatherings, and organizations may be at heightened risk,” the statement added.
During a press conference later on Sunday, Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone said that police acted after receiving a call about three suspicious vehicles traveling toward the base at 12:45 a.m.
Officers arrested five men, who remain in custody, on suspicion of explosive offenses, Ocone said. Local police, he added, are working closely with counter-terror police on the investigation.
Counter Terrorism Policing confirmed that the five detained men were also arrested “on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act.”
Police said that a 400m cordon was put in place around the suspect’s vehicles while armed forces explosives experts examine them. Around 85 households were also evacuated as a “precaution,” police said.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham posted to social media on Sunday urging people not to speculate about the incident.
“I know today’s incident near RAF Fairford will be deeply concerning for local residents and for many people following developments across the country,” Burnham said.
The prime minister said he was grateful to residents asked to leave their homes while precautionary checks were carried out.
“The safety and security of the public is our first priority, and I want people to know that we will always take every step necessary to protect our communities and keep our country safe,” Burnham said. “The investigation remains ongoing, and I would urge people not to speculate while the authorities establish the full facts.”
British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said in a post to X, “We can be reassured that this is being dealt with, and it is exactly why our emergency response teams and Armed Forces are on standby 24/7.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood also posted to X thanking the emergency services “for their swift response to the major incident in Gloucestershire this morning and their reassurance that they believe the incident is contained.”
A spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force 501st Combat Support Wing, based at RAF Fairford, told ABC News that the unit “appreciates the swift response and continued support of our local law enforcement partners.”
“The safety and security of our airmen, families, and surrounding communities remains our highest priority,” the spokesperson added. “We remain in close coordination with our U.K. partners to help ensure the safety and security of both our military and local communities.”
Amid reports that U.S. air bases in the U.K. had raised their threat levels, the 48th Fighter Wing — an American unit based at RAF Lakenheath in eastern England — told ABC News in a statement that it was “unable to discuss specific force protection measures” citing “operational security reasons.”
“We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures are implemented or modified. Please be assured that the Tri-Base area (RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, and RAF Feltwell) remains vigilant and will take appropriate action to ensure the safety and security of U.S. service members, U.S. and U.K. civilians, contractors, and their families,” the statement said.
ABC News’ Rashid Haddou-Riffi, Guy Davies, Lama Hasan, Kevin Shalvey and Jamie Dorrington contributed to this report.
An infographic titled “7.1-magnitude earthquake hits Japan” created in Ankara, Turkiye on July 28, 2026. (Photo by Mehmet Yaren Bozgun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(TOKYO and LONDON) — A powerful earthquake rocked southern Japan on Tuesday, damaging building, causing injuries and prompting warnings from officials, according to local authorities and broadcasts.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake measured at a magnitude of 6.8 after initially releasing a preliminary magnitude of 7.1.
It struck Kyushu Island, in the Kumamoto Prefecture, shortly before 4:30 p.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, where a large shopping mall has been damaged.
The shopping mall was evacuated when the quake struck, Japan’s NHK News reported, adding that there appeared to have been an explosion in the aftermath of the earthquake and that injuries were reported in the area.
Aerials taken from above the shopping mall appeared to show that a number of walls, as well as the roof, partially collapsed. NHK reported that the fire department said the second floor of the building collapsed.
The quake struck about 6 miles below the island, which is the southernmost of the main Japanese islands, according to local and U.S. weather officials.
The quake prompted the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue and later lift a tsunami advisory for the coasts of the Ariake Sea and the Yatsushiro Sea.
The agency warned that further quakes may strike the area in the coming days, with an official saying, “As the place where the latest earthquake occurred is shallow, this shows that many earthquakes have occurred.”
The rumbling on Tuesday afternoon lasted for about a minute, according to Japan’s NHK News, which broadcast images of apparent smoke or fire nearby.
The prefecture’s airport, Kumamoto Airport, in Mashiki, suspended flights all flights shortly after the quake, according to a notice posted on its website.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said in an emergency update that it had not recorded “abnormalities” at nearby facilities in Ikata, Genkai and Satsumasendai City.
Several thousand homes were without power following the quake, NHK reported.
Officials urged people to stay away from the ocean and the sea shore. They also warned residents to watch for possible landslides.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said strong shaking could be felt in both city of Uki and the town of Hikawa. She warned of potential tsunamis of about a meter, or just over 3 feet, near the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas.
“I urge residents in areas that experienced strong shaking to remain vigilant against the possibility of further earthquakes of similar magnitude,” she said in a statement posted in Japanese on social media.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
US Marine Corps participate in the annual Key Resolve and Foal Eagle Exercise at Rodriguez Range on March 10, 2009, in Paju, South Korea. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he had directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises, citing his “very good” relationship with North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.
“Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea,” Trump wrote on his social media platform.
“Therefore, and based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!” he said.
Trump said the exercises send “inappropriate and hostile” signals to North Korea, a country he says has been “unthreatening and respectful” towards America during his presidency.
The annual U.S.-South Korea Ulchi Freedom Shield began on Monday. An official from the South Korean Ministry of Defense told ABC News that the military exercise now underway “will be carried on as planned.”
South Korea is a longtime U.S. ally and hosts roughly 28,500 American troops. The U.S. presence on the peninsula has traditionally been intended to prevent a resumption of cross-border hostilities, with the Korean War of 1950-1953 having never officially ended.
In 2006, North Korea tested its first nuclear weapon and has since been expanding its atomic weapons stockpile — despite international condemnation and sanctions led by successive U.S. administrations — alongside a ballistic missile research program which has produced munitions capable of reaching the continental U.S.
In recent decades, the U.S. presence in South Korea has also become an important point of leverage in the strategic contest between Washington and Beijing, the latter having long served as Pyongyang’s prime patron.
Trump’s announcement came after North Korea on Friday threatened a strong response against the U.S. and South Korea in response to the planned drills.
In his post to social media, Trump also cited South Korea’s refusal to join the U.S. military effort against — and “denuclearization” of — Iran, though said the issue was “somewhat unrelated (?)” to his decision to scale back the U.S.-South Korean drills.
In response to Trump’s statement, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told ABC News it hoped the “friendly relationship between the leaders of the United States and North Korea will lead to meaningful dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang and pave the way for discussions aimed at advancing peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”
“The South Korean government has actively participated from the outset in international discussions aimed at securing a ceasefire in Iran and restoring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz,” the ministry added.
Trump has long lauded his relationship with Kim, though the president’s first term began with an extended period of tensions that saw Trump repeatedly refer to Kim as “little rocket man” and threaten Pyongyang with “fire and fury.”
But the discord gave way to a detente that saw Trump and Kim meet in person three times in 2018 and 2019 — first in Singapore, then in Vietnam and later in the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.
But despite seemingly improved ties and the in-person meetings, Trump failed to achieve his stated goal of North Korean denuclearization.
Since talks with Trump broke down in 2019, Pyongyang has maintained a steady rhythm of ballistic missile tests. Earlier this month and with the U.S.-South Korea military drills approaching, North Korea conducted two ballistic missile launches in quick succession.
Recent years have also seen North Korea pull closer to both Russia and Iran, putting Pyongyang in opposition to the U.S. and its allies in the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow-Pyongyang ties have reached an “unprecedented level of comprehensive strategic partnership.”
ABC News’ Joohee Cho and Hakyung Kate Lee contributed to this report.
