I think an Israeli El Al plane was scheduled to
be in that position, or due along in a moment or two.
Hence, if there was a missile strike (likely), then
my money is on terrorism.
And, of course, we know that the government always
says there is no such thing as terrorism.
(But, by denying the air strike was terrorism, the
government effectively disarms that kind of terror;
if no plane will ever be admitted to have been shot
down, then there is no point in shooting them down.
The terrorists will have to look elsewhere to get
their moment in the news.)
Or the terrorists ramp up the scope and scale of their operations until they can neither be ignored nor covered up. Like 9/11.