Trump Changed Planes in Turkey Due to Iranian Threat

US President Donald Trump’s trip from Turkey last month involved a careful plan to avoid a possible Iranian assassination threat.

Mr Trump secretly changed planes while leaving Turkey. He moved from Air Force One, which the White House said he was using, to another military aircraft.

The Washington Post reports that after Mr Trump boarded Air Force One, he was quietly transferred to a military plane with a catering truck.

This secret move to change planes was due to concerns about an Iranian attack on the US president.

Mr Trump’s visit to Ankara happened a day after the US began its 13-day military strikes on Iran.

He had earlier mentioned he was Iran’s “number one target” during the summit in Ankara.

Reports say Iran’s supreme leader has promised revenge for the killing of his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, who died in a US-Israeli strike in February.

Mr Trump arrived in Turkey on a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet that Qatar donated last year.

Hours before leaving on 8 July, Mr Trump said he would fly from Ankara on the old Air Force One instead of the new jet he took to the NATO summit.

He explained that he was switching planes “for old time’s sake” and that American forces at a UK refuelling stop would check out the new plane.

Footage from the press showed Mr Trump walking into the old Air Force One. CBS News reported that a catering truck was seen on the other side of the jet.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also boarded the smaller military aircraft using external stairs to make the trip look normal.

But a few minutes later, the catering truck drove away to another US government plane, which the Washington Post identified as an Air Force C-32A.

The Post reported that Mr Trump then flew from Ankara to a refuelling stop in the UK on that military aircraft, without the journalists and White House officials knowing. They were still on Air Force One.

The BBC says the officials and press members thought they were on the same aircraft as the president.

The New York Times and CBS News had reported that intelligence officials warned of a specific threat to the president or his jet, leading to extra safety measures.

The journalists and some White House staff on Air Force One were told to keep their window shades shut, which was unusual.

Meanwhile, there are questions about the security of the aircraft provided by Qatar.

The US spent months upgrading the $400 million Boeing 747-8 to make it ready for the president, according to the BBC.

In a statement to CBS News, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “The new Air Force One is perfectly safe for the president’s travels, but will receive additional upgrades and enhancements in the fall, which will take approximately one month to complete.”