Trump secretly left NATO summit on different plane due to Iran threat: Report

U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly departed a NATO summit in Turkey last month on a different aircraft than what was initially disclosed to the public, The Washington Post reported, citing sources.

While television cameras captured Trump boarding the old Air Force One after the summit on July 8 in Ankara, he was later secretly transferred to a smaller plane. Sources told WP that Trump was moved to the second aircraft using a service vehicle, typically used for catering or cargo. WP also stated it had seen other evidence confirming the operation, and that not all White House staff were aware Trump was not on the same plane as them.

The exact number of U.S. administration officials aware of the operation remains uncertain, according to WP. The primary reason cited for this covert departure was a threat of assassination by Iran. Several U.S. media outlets had reported in July that Israel had shared intelligence with the U.S. indicating Iran was developing a plan to assassinate the president.

According to CNN, Israel warned the U.S. about the plot the same week the NATO summit was held. In the preceding weeks, the U.S. had assessed that Iran might be planning Trump's assassination, with Israel providing specific details of the plan. Trump's flight arrangements had already raised questions in July. He had flown to Ankara on a new plane donated by Qatar but announced after the NATO summit that he would depart on the older Air Force One. U.S. media reported at the time that the change was a precautionary measure, with concerns raised about the new plane's security features due to the Iranian threat.