Too dangerous for emergencies: Why Donald Trump had to leave his new Qatar jet behind

Donald Trump narrowly avoided a potential assassination attempt by Iran-allied terror groups during his return flight from Turkey on July 8, according to a report by The New York Times. The incident led the U.S. president to forgo using his new presidential jet, a gift from Qatar, for a portion of his journey.

The Secret Service reportedly classified the threat as "credible," prompting a change in Trump's travel plans. Instead of using the new Boeing 747-8 aircraft, he initially boarded an older plane for his flight to Great Britain. He later switched back to the new jet for the remainder of his trip to the United States.

Trump had publicly stated he switched planes "for the sake of old times." However, the report suggests the decision was driven by security concerns. The new presidential aircraft may not possess all the protective systems found on the previous Air Force One, making it a potentially more vulnerable target.

This incident occurs amidst heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran. The conflict, which began on February 28, 2026, following a U.S.-Israeli strike that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has seen Iran repeatedly vow revenge. Iranian proxies and criminal networks have been implicated in plots against U.S. officials, including a previous attempt to hire an assassin in March.

The report also points to the hasty deployment of the new presidential aircraft, suggesting it may not have been fully equipped with necessary security features before being put into service. Groups like Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, and Hezbollah in Lebanon are considered key proxies of Iran's "axis of resistance."