Trump secretly switched planes from Turkey amid Iran missile threat

U.S. President Donald Trump was secretly moved to a different military aircraft last month while traveling from a NATO summit in Turkey to Britain, due to a credible assassination threat from Iran. The White House had initially stated that the president traveled on his usual presidential plane.

However, shortly before Air Force One was scheduled to depart from Ankara, Trump was covertly transferred to a smaller military jet. This maneuver was facilitated by an airport catering vehicle, which was used to move the president unnoticed. The ruse was employed because U.S. intelligence had uncovered a plot to fire a missile at the presidential aircraft.

Trump himself had acknowledged the risks associated with the U.S.-Iran conflict, referring to himself as Iran's "number one target" during the NATO summit. The decision to switch planes underscores the heightened security concerns surrounding the president's travel amidst escalating tensions with Iran and its proxies.