Multiple air traffic controllers in New York heard a chilling threat in audio on Monday, obtained exclusively by CBS News: “We’ll be flying a plane to the Capitol on Wednesday. Soleimani will be avenged.”
The threat refers to Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian general who was killed in a US drone strike last year ordered by President Trump. It was made on the one-year anniversary of Soleimani’s death, for which Iranian officials have long vowed revenge.
It is unclear who sent the threat. Although the government does not consider the warning of an attack to be credible, it is being investigated as a violation of aviation frequencies, CBS News has learned.
Sources told CBS News that the Pentagon and other agencies were briefed on Tuesday about the digitized voice recording. The sources said they believe the threat was intended to suggest hitting the Capitol on the same day Congress is going to count the Electoral College’s results.
Experts said the break-in is concerning because it could affect the instructions pilots receive on how and where planes fly.
Sources told CBS News that a message was sent to air traffic controllers on Tuesday to remind them that any threat or aircraft deviating from its flight path must be reported immediately.
The FBI does not comment, but said it “takes all threats of violence to public safety seriously.” The Federal Aviation Administration said it is in contact with law enforcement.
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