Several air traffic controllers in New York on Monday heard an icy threat in the sound obtained exclusively by CBS News: “We are flying a plane into the Capitol on Wednesday. Soleimani will be avenged.”
The threat refers to Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian general who died last year in a US drone ordered by President Trump. It was made on the one-year anniversary of Soleimani’s death, for which Iranian officials have long taken revenge.
It is unclear who sent the threat. Although the government does not believe the warning for an attack is 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 Tuesday on the digitized voice recording. The sources said they believe the threat is aimed at hitting the Capitol on the same day that Congress’s results count.
Experts said the intrusion is worrying because it could affect the instructions pilots receive on how and where planes fly.
Sources told CBS News a message was sent to air traffic controllers on Tuesday to remind them that any threat or an aircraft deviating from its flight path should be reported immediately.
The FBI did not comment, but said it was “taking all threats of violence to public safety seriously.” The Federal Aviation Administration has said it is in contact with law enforcement.
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