[1] The incident occurred shortly after takeoff from Tehran, when a disgruntled flight attendant, Reza Jabbari, armed with a pistol, took control of the aircraft.

Jordan's King Hussein reportedly informed Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of the aircraft's approach.

[1] The aircraft was redirected to Ovda Airbase in the Negev Desert, away from densely populated areas due to concerns about possible explosives on board.

Some members of the Knesset suggested leveraging the situation to obtain information about Ron Arad, an Israeli navigator who had been captured in Lebanon in 1986,[1] by pro-Iranian guerrillas.

[2] Arad's mother, Batya, arrived at Ovda Airbase and took the opportunity to draw attention to her son's captivity.