Trump confirms covert plane switch during Turkey departure amid reported Iranian missile threat

President Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday night that he secretly transferred from Air Force One to an unmarked military jet during his departure from Ankara, Turkey, on July 8, saying the maneuver was directed by the Secret Service and the military in response to what he described as 'a threat out there.' The incident occurred following a NATO heads-of-state summit in Ankara.

According to NBC News, Trump covertly boarded a catering truck after having been seen publicly boarding Air Force One, and was transferred to an unmarked C-32 jet whose call sign was not marked as Air Force One. He then flew from Ankara to a base in the United Kingdom, while reporters and White House staff believed he remained aboard Air Force One.

Both sources report that the switch came amid an alleged Iranian plot targeting Trump. According to the New York Times, as cited by the New York Post, an unidentified person was observed near the NATO summit venue with a shoulder-fired missile, and US intelligence had learned that Iran had obtained information about which hotel floor Trump was staying on. NBC News reported, citing a US official, that the threat involved a possible shoulder-fired missile aimed at Air Force One as it departed Turkey.

Those who remained on Air Force One — which functioned as a decoy, according to NBC News — included members of the media, senior White House staff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, both of whom are in the presidential line of succession.

Trump told reporters he 'didn't really ask so much' about the specific nature of the threat, but said he was 'not surprised' one existed. He also said he believed the unmarked plane he actually flew on may have been at greater risk than Air Force One, though he did not explain the reasoning behind that assessment, according to NBC News.

According to NBC News, Congressional Democrats are demanding a briefing from officials on the details of Trump's July flight and any associated security threats.

• The identity of the individual observed with a shoulder-fired missile near the NATO summit has not been established by any source.
• No source confirms whether the alleged Iranian plot was verified or disrupted, or what the current status of any investigation is.
• The Secret Service and US military have not been quoted directly in either source explaining their decision-making.
• Trump did not elaborate on why he believed the unmarked C-32 jet was at greater risk than Air Force One.
• No Iranian government response or denial appears in any source.
• The full extent of the intelligence assessment regarding the threat has not been disclosed in either source.

1. New York Post — original — by Steven Nelson
2. NBC News — by Raquel Coronell Uribe

Read the original at New York Post

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