The FlyDubai co-pilot probe has widened beyond the Gulf. Australian authorities are now examining the Omani pilot’s time in the country roughly a decade ago, after he was detained over an alleged attempt to seize an Israel-bound plane and crash it. It was one of several major developments across the Middle East on Monday.

Australia and New Zealand Dig Into the Pilot’s Background

The Australian Federal Police said a joint counterterrorism team is looking at the man’s links to Australia. The team includes federal and state police along with the country’s domestic intelligence agency. New Zealand’s police said he also spent time there, and they will investigate too.

The pilot remains in custody in the United Arab Emirates.

Troops Headed for Saudi Arabia

After an emergency meeting in Riyadh, the foreign and defence ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey agreed to take immediate steps to deploy forces in the kingdom under their joint defence pact. The statement did not give troop numbers, name the contributing countries or set a timetable.

The three also condemned what they called attempted attacks on Mecca and Medina, along with continuing strikes on Saudi cities and economic sites, without naming who was behind them.

The decision comes as Yemen’s Saudi-backed government launches a major offensive against the Houthis, who are advancing near the outskirts of a key city.

Houthis Claim Strikes Across Saudi Arabia

The Houthis said they hit oil facilities, airports and military bases using ballistic and cruise missiles and drones. Their military spokesman named King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, a refinery in Rabigh, Abha airport, military sites in Khamis Mushait, and locations in Najran and Jizan. No evidence was provided.

Shipping Under Threat in Hormuz

A tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was hit by an unknown projectile, starting a fire in its engine room. The crew was fighting the blaze, and no casualties were reported. British maritime authorities also said two crude tankers and a gas tanker were struck over the weekend, and another vessel was ordered by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to turn back or face attack.

US efforts to move tankers through at night, plus bypass pipelines, have kept Gulf oil exports near prewar levels. Overall traffic, however, remains well below normal.

Other Developments

• An Israeli mathematics lecturer at Bar-Ilan University was charged with plotting mass attacks on hundreds of Arabs. The indictment says he planned 12 squads of 72 attackers and hoped to drive Palestinians out. The university suspended him.
• Israeli troops fired on a vehicle in the southern West Bank that the military said rammed one of its vehicles. One Palestinian was killed and two were wounded, according to the Palestinian Authority, which said Red Crescent access was blocked.
• Iran hanged two men over violence at January protests in Isfahan that left four police officers dead. Rights groups say such trials are often unfair.
• The World Food Program welcomed the release of a detained staff member in Yemen. Dozens of aid workers have been held by the Houthis for two years, and the agency has already shut down operations in the north.

What to Watch Next

• What the Australian and New Zealand inquiries reveal about the pilot
• When and where Pakistani and Turkish forces arrive in Saudi Arabia
• Whether Houthi strikes and Hormuz attacks continue
• The progress of the Bar-Ilan lecturer’s case

The Bottom Line

From a cockpit attack investigation reaching Australia to troops heading for the Gulf, the region is facing pressure on many fronts at once. Each new incident raises the odds of a wider escalation.