In the USA, multiple air traffic controllers in New York heard a chilling threat. The audio of the threat was exclusively obtained by the CBS News TV channel.
“We are flying a plane into the Capitol on Wednesday. Soleimani will be avenged," the threat claimed.
The threat refers to Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian general killed last year in a U.S. drone strike ordered by President Trump. It was made on the one-year anniversary of Soleimani's death, for which Iranian officials have long vowed revenge.
The case is now under investigation as a breach of aviation frequencies, as the government does not believe in the credibility of the warning. It is still unclear who sent the threat. According to the experts, the intrusion caused serious concerns because it could affect the instructions pilots get about how and where planes fly. The air traffic controllers were reminded again that any threat or a plane deviating from its flight path should be reported immediately.
According to internal sources, the Pentagon and other agencies were briefed Tuesday about the digitized voice recording. The sources said they believe the threat was designed to suggest hitting the Capitol on the same day Congress is set to count the Electoral College results.
The FBI is not commenting but said it takes "all threats of violence to public safety seriously." The Federal Aviation Administration said it is in contact with law enforcement.
As was reported earlier by ‘Apostrophe’, on January 3, 2020, the US drone strike at Baghdad International Airport that was authorized by President Trump killed Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, Iran’s top security and intelligence commander.