WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump was secretly moved from a presidential aircraft to a smaller U.S. military plane after leaving a NATO summit in Turkey last month, in an elaborate security operation reportedly prompted by a credible Iranian threat against him.
The operation, reported by The Washington Post and The New York Times and subsequently reported by Reuters and The Associated Press, was designed to conceal Trump’s actual location as he traveled from Ankara to Britain.
Trump had publicly boarded an older Boeing 747 used as Air Force One in front of cameras before his departure from Turkey. But according to The Washington Post, he was later transferred to a smaller C-32A military aircraft, with the movement reportedly concealed using an airport catering truck.
A U.S. official told The Post that the operation was prompted by a credible threat involving Iran. The Pentagon has not publicly provided details of the reported threat.
The incident occurred during Trump’s July visit to Ankara for a NATO summit, as tensions between Washington and Tehran were particularly high.
Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard a newly modified Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar. The aircraft, which was being prepared for future presidential use, had attracted considerable attention because of its luxurious interior and questions about its security modifications.
Before leaving Turkey, Trump announced that he would return to the United States aboard an older presidential aircraft, saying he wanted to use it “for old time’s sake.”
He also said the newer Qatari aircraft would travel to Britain so U.S. military personnel at RAF Mildenhall could tour it.
At the time, Trump rejected the suggestion that security concerns were behind the decision.
Trump had nevertheless acknowledged that he remained a potential target for Iran. Speaking to reporters during the NATO summit, he said he was “No. 1 on their list” for assassination.
The latest reports indicate that the security operation was considerably more elaborate than the public explanation suggested.
According to The Washington Post, Trump initially boarded the older Air Force One in full view of cameras. He was then secretly moved from the aircraft and taken across the airport to the smaller military plane.
Journalists traveling with the president were reportedly instructed to keep the window shades in their section closed.
The president of the United States travels with extensive security measures, but details of those protections are closely guarded because public knowledge of routes, aircraft and schedules can potentially expose vulnerabilities.
The use of a decoy aircraft is not entirely without precedent.
U.S. presidents have previously used deception and altered travel arrangements to reduce the risk of assassination or attack, particularly when visiting countries or regions considered dangerous.
U.S. authorities have previously disclosed Iranian plots targeting Trump. In 2024, the Justice Department announced charges against an individual accused of involvement in an Iranian-directed plan to assassinate Trump before the presidential election.
The aircraft had been rapidly modified for presidential use, but questions had been raised about whether it had the same level of defensive equipment as the long-established Air Force One aircraft.
Security deception has occasionally been used during presidential travel when U.S. officials have faced concerns about attacks or assassination attempts.
The reported Trump operation is particularly significant because it involved using one presidential aircraft as a decoy while secretly transferring the president to another aircraft.
The United States and Iran have also had a long history of confrontation. Iranian threats against Trump became a major U.S. security concern during his first presidency and continued after he left office.
In 2024, the U.S. Justice Department announced that authorities had disrupted an alleged Iranian-directed plot to assassinate Trump. The latest reported threat therefore comes against an established backdrop of tensions between the two governments.
