President Donald Trump was secretly moved from an older Air Force One aircraft to a smaller U.S. military jet during his departure from Turkey last month after a credible threat involving Iran prompted a covert security operation, according to U.S. officials cited in recent reports.
Trump had publicly appeared to board the older presidential aircraft in Ankara on July 8 following the NATO summit. At the time, he said he was using the older plane for “old time’s sake” rather than the newer aircraft recently associated with his presidential travel.
But the public departure was reportedly part of a deception operation.
After Trump boarded the aircraft in view of cameras, he and several aides were secretly transferred through an airport catering vehicle to a nearby Air Force C-32A military aircraft, according to reporting based on U.S. officials familiar with the operation.
The older Air Force One aircraft then continued as a decoy, carrying members of the media and other personnel who were apparently unaware that Trump had changed planes.
The operation was reportedly triggered by a credible threat to the president involving Iran. The move kept Trump’s actual location concealed from the public and, according to reports, from some senior U.S. officials for several hours.
Trump had previously acknowledged concerns about threats from Iran and told reporters during the Turkey trip that he was a major target for Tehran.
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also traveled with Trump aboard the C-32A, according to reports. The aircraft’s tracking data was reportedly disabled during the flight to Britain.
Both aircraft ultimately reached Britain, where Trump was later seen publicly disembarking from the presidential aircraft, helping preserve the appearance that he had traveled aboard it.
The operation highlights the heightened security concerns surrounding Trump’s travel amid the continuing confrontation between the United States and Iran.
