US President Donald Trump was reportedly moved onto a smaller military aircraft in a covert security operation after intelligence officials received information about a potential assassination threat linked to Iran.
According to reports by The New York Times and The Washington Post, Trump was returning from a NATO summit in Turkey when security officials carried out the secret aircraft switch.
Trump had travelled to Turkey aboard a new Boeing 747-8 that was donated by Qatar and has been undergoing extensive modifications for use as a presidential aircraft.
At the conclusion of the summit, Trump announced that he would not return aboard the newly outfitted aircraft, saying he would instead use an older plane “for old time’s sake.”
He was subsequently seen boarding the older aircraft in Ankara, apparently bound for a US military base in the United Kingdom.
However, officials familiar with the operation reportedly told The New York Times that Trump was secretly transferred from the decoy aircraft to a smaller Air Force C-32A.
The Washington Post reported that the president was moved using an airport catering vehicle typically used to transport food and other supplies to Air Force One.
The operation reportedly caught journalists and some White House staff members aboard the decoy aircraft by surprise.
After departing Ankara, the C-32A carrying Trump landed at RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom, arriving approximately nine minutes before reporters. White House staff travelling aboard the decoy Air Force One also landed at the same base.
Reports of a potential threat against Trump emerged last month, with intelligence officials said to have identified a specific threat targeting the president.
The Wall Street Journal further reported that Israel had alerted US authorities about a potential Iranian assassination plot against Trump.
The reports have not been publicly confirmed in detail by US officials.
Responding to questions about the incident, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung highlighted the security features of the Qatari-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.
“As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats.”
The reported aircraft switch underscores the extensive security measures surrounding the US president amid heightened concerns over potential threats to his safety.
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