US President Donald Trump was secretly moved from the presidential aircraft to a smaller military plane using an airport catering truck after attending a NATO summit in Turkey last month, according to a report that has revealed an extraordinary security operation linked to concerns about a possible Iranian assassination attempt.
The operation reportedly took place on July 8 in Ankara, shortly after Trump attended the NATO summit. According to The Washington Post, Trump publicly boarded an older version of Air Force One in front of television cameras and journalists. However, after entering the aircraft, he was allegedly transferred through a catering truck to a separate C-32A military aircraft waiting elsewhere on the airport grounds.
The reported deception was designed to conceal Trump's actual location. Journalists travelling with the president and some White House personnel reportedly remained aboard the larger aircraft, believing Trump was travelling with them. The decoy plane then continued to Britain, while the smaller military aircraft carrying Trump travelled separately to RAF Mildenhall in England.
The unusual maneuver reportedly followed intelligence warnings about a potential threat from Iran. The concerns emerged during a period of heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, including US military strikes against Iranian targets. US intelligence agencies had previously warned of possible threats against Trump and his aircraft, according to reports cited by the Associated Press and Reuters.
Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard a newly renovated Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar. Before leaving Ankara, however, he publicly indicated that he would travel to Britain aboard the older Air Force One. At the time, he said the newer aircraft was being sent ahead so that American military personnel in Britain could see it.
The decision not to use the newer aircraft for the first leg of the return journey had already attracted attention because of questions surrounding its security. The White House has since maintained that the aircraft has advanced security protections and can be used safely after appropriate modifications.
According to the reported account, the catering vehicle provided a discreet way to move Trump away from the aircraft without revealing his departure. The vehicle is normally used at airports to transport meals and other supplies to aircraft, making its presence near a presidential plane less conspicuous than a highly visible motorcade or separate convoy.
The White House did not directly confirm the details of the reported operation. Communications Director Steven Cheung said the administration uses every available tool to deal with threats against the president. The Secret Service declined to comment publicly, while the US Air Force referred questions about the operation to the White House.
The revelation has also prompted political concern. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal called for congressional scrutiny of the incident, describing the reported operation as extraordinary and raising questions about the circumstances that led security officials to conceal the president's movements even from some members of his travelling team.
For Trump, the episode illustrates the increasingly complicated security environment surrounding his international travel. While presidential movements are routinely protected by layers of secrecy, the reported use of a decoy aircraft and an airport catering vehicle reflects the seriousness with which US security officials appear to have treated the potential threat.
The full intelligence behind the operation remains classified, and independent confirmation of every detail in the report is not yet available. Nevertheless, the account has provided a rare glimpse into the lengths security officials may go to when protecting the US president during a period of heightened international tension.