President Donald Trump was reportedly moved out of Turkey aboard a smaller military aircraft after US security officials received intelligence about a potential Iranian assassination threat, according to reports.
Trump had traveled to Ankara for a NATO summit aboard a new Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar, an aircraft the Trump administration has spent significant sums upgrading with advanced security features.
At the conclusion of the summit, Trump announced that he would not return to the United States aboard the newly outfitted aircraft, saying he would instead use an older plane “for old time’s sake.”
Trump was subsequently seen boarding the older aircraft in Ankara as it prepared to fly to a US military base in the United Kingdom. However, officials familiar with the operation reportedly told The New York Times that the flight was used as a decoy.
According to the reports, Trump was secretly moved through the aircraft’s catering area and transferred to a smaller Air Force C-32A using an airport catering truck normally used to load meals and other supplies onto Air Force One. The operation reportedly fooled journalists and even some White House staff members traveling aboard the decoy aircraft.
The C-32A carrying Trump departed Ankara and landed at RAF Mildenhall in England approximately nine minutes before the reporters and White House personnel aboard the decoy Air Force One flight arrived.
The reported aircraft switch came after US intelligence officials allegedly identified a specific threat against the president. Earlier reports indicated that Israel had warned Washington about a potential Iranian assassination plot targeting Trump.
The White House has not publicly confirmed the details of the alleged plot or the reported deception. When asked about the operation, White House communications director Steven Cheung instead highlighted the security capabilities of the Qatar-donated aircraft.
“The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff,” Cheung said. He added that numerous enemies of the United States have targeted the president and that the administration uses “every tool at our disposal” to protect him.
