Trump Used Covert Plane Switch to Leave Turkey After NATO Summit Over Alleged Iran Threat: Report

Washington DC: President Donald Trump's departure from Turkey last month after a NATO summit involved a previously undisclosed security manoeuvre, with the president quietly transferred to a smaller aircraft mid-departure following a threat connected to Iran, according to a Washington Post report published on Monday.

An unnamed US official told the Post that Trump boarded Air Force One in Ankara on July 8 as usual, but was then discreetly moved through a catering container attached to the aircraft. From there, he was ferried to a smaller C-32A plane that carried him to Britain, while journalists and several officials remained under the impression that he was still travelling aboard the larger jet.

The Iranian threat had already been cited in earlier reporting as the reason Trump avoided flying out of Turkey on the newly received Boeing 747-8 — a gift from Qatar that had transported him into the country. Trump himself had explained the decision to use the older 747 instead by saying it would let US troops stationed at a British airbase get a look at the new plane.

Subsequent reporting, including from the New York Times, revealed the real reason behind the switch: a threat reportedly originating from Iranian-backed forces. As per reports, reporters aboard the older aircraft leaving Ankara were told to keep their window blinds shut, a measure normally associated with flights through active conflict areas, deepening concerns about the nature of the threat.

Meanwhile, the revelations have renewed doubts about the Qatari-gifted jet's defence measures, which the NYT reported lack certain security features present in the older aircraft, including systems designed to counter missile attacks.

Qatar's royal family had presented the aircraft to the US last year, after Trump voiced dissatisfaction with the condition of the two Boeing 747s that have served as Air Force One since 1990. Following a hurried retrofit, the plane made its first flight with Trump aboard on July 1, travelling to North Dakota, before being pressed into service for its first international journey to Turkey just days later.

In addition, AFP reported that when asked to respond to the Post's findings, the White House stood by the aircraft's security. Communications Director Steven Cheung said the new Air Force One featured state-of-the-art, high-level security protocols to protect the president and his staff, noting that the administration remained vigilant against numerous threats and was employing all available resources to counter them. The response echoed a nearly identical statement issued when questions about the plane's safety first arose earlier.