Trump Switches Planes in Turkey Due to Credible Threat from Iran-Linked Forces

President Donald Trump was compelled to switch the aircraft that transported him from Turkey this month after US authorities identified a credible threat from forces linked to Iran targeting both him and the presidential plane, according to several individuals familiar with the matter, as reported by the New York Times.

The threat emerged while Trump was attending the NATO summit in Ankara, where he had arrived aboard a Boeing 747-8 plane donated by Qatar. This aircraft lacks the advanced defensive capabilities of the older presidential plane, Air Force One.

Following the detection of the threat, the Secret Service advised the president to change planes. Trump later announced he would depart Turkey using the older presidential aircraft.

Sources indicated that US officials' intelligence did not specify that Iran-affiliated forces were targeting the Qatari plane specifically, but rather President Trump and any plane he was aboard.

The New York Times noted that the White House did not comment on the incident. However, a senior US administration official, responding to media inquiries, referenced Trump's public statements about Iranian assassination attempts and expressed confidence in the security measures protecting the president and his delegation.

Details of the threat were not widely disseminated within the administration; only select officials were informed that the plane switch was a precautionary measure due to general concerns about Iran. Senior members of Congress were not briefed on the specific nature of the threat.

Initially, Trump stated that the plane change allowed US military personnel in Britain to inspect the new aircraft and denied that security concerns motivated the decision. Subsequent media reports revealed that the Secret Service had recommended using the older plane.

The report clarified that the threat prompting the plane switch was separate from Israeli intelligence reports alleging Iranian efforts to assassinate Trump. Some US officials viewed those Israeli reports skeptically, considering them attempts to push the president toward escalating attacks on Iran.

The plane change occurred while the United States had resumed strikes against Iran during Trump's stay in Ankara, approximately a thousand miles from Tehran. At the summit, Trump declared that Iran sought to assassinate him, stating, "They want to take out the leader of the United States, which is me... I am on all their lists."

Assassination threats linked to Iran date back to Trump's first term, following the US strike that killed Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani.

Trump had criticized the two planes used as presidential aircraft since 1990, considering them unsuitable for international travel. Military officials have expressed concerns about their continued use beyond planned timelines.

Last year, Qatar donated a Boeing 747-8 for Trump's use. The president has indicated his intention to move this plane to his presidential library after leaving office.

The US administration describes the new plane as a "temporary solution" until the delivery of new Boeing aircraft contracted by the US Air Force. White House spokesperson Caroline Leavitt confirmed that the plane will undergo additional upgrades this fall, lasting about a month, during which the president will use the older presidential plane.

Separately, Secret Service Director Sean Conley stated in a press briefing that the threat level facing the individuals protected by the agency is the highest he has witnessed in his 24 years of service. He added that the security environment has become "extremely volatile," encompassing local officials as well as federal figures.