“Trump Secretly Switched to Smaller Military Jet in Turkey Amid Reported Iranian Assassination Threat”
U.S. President Donald Trump was secretly transferred from a decoy Air Force One aircraft to a smaller military jet during his departure from Turkey last month, in an elaborate security operation reportedly prompted by a credible Iranian threat against his life.
The Washington Post and The New York Times reported that the covert operation took place on July 8, 2026, after Trump attended the NATO summit in Ankara. Reuters and The Associated Press have since reported details of the operation, citing the American newspaper reports and U.S. officials.
According to the reports, Trump initially appeared to board the older Air Force One in full view of cameras and journalists. However, after boarding, he was reportedly moved through a catering truck positioned at another aircraft door and taken to a smaller Air Force C-32A military aircraft. The manoeuvre was designed to conceal Trump’s actual location from potential attackers and, reportedly, from some members of the White House staff and the press travelling with him.
The C-32A then reportedly flew Trump from Turkey to RAF Milden hall in the United Kingdom, arriving shortly before the older Air Force One that had served as a decoy. Trump later continued his journey to the United States aboard the newer Boeing 747-8 aircraft donated by Qatar, according to reports.
The security operation followed heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran and intelligence assessments that reportedly identified a credible threat involving Iran or Iranian-aligned groups. CBS News had previously reported that U.S. officials detected a credible threat involving a possible missile attack against the president’s aircraft, prompting security officials to alter Trump’s travel arrangements.
Trump’s unexpected decision to abandon the newly refurbished Qatari-donated aircraft for the older Air Force One had already attracted attention when he left Ankara. At the time, Trump publicly said the newer aircraft would travel to Britain so U.S. military personnel could see it, while he returned using the older presidential aircraft. He also acknowledged that he faced continuing threats from Iran.
The latest revelations provide additional context to that decision, suggesting that presidential security considerations were more significant than publicly disclosed at the time. The White House has defended the security measures, emphasizing that protecting the president requires operational secrecy, while the Pentagon has not publicly detailed the reported mission.
The reported deception has also raised questions about the risks faced by journalists and staff who believed they were travelling with Trump aboard the decoy aircraft. It underscores the extent to which security protocols surrounding the U.S. president can involve deliberately misleading public observers and even members of the presidential entourage when intelligence indicates a serious threat.
The episode comes against the backdrop of heightened U.S.-Iran tensions and a broader security environment in which Iranian threats against senior American officials have remained a major concern for U.S. authorities. Earlier reporting by CBS News indicated that security officials had already taken precautions because of threats attributed to Iran and allied proxy groups.
For now, the full intelligence behind the reported assassination threat remains classified, and neither Washington nor Tehran has publicly provided a detailed account of the alleged plot. The reports therefore remain based largely on U.S. officials and intelligence assessments cited by major American news organizations.