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Donald Trump, File Photo
Washington: Donald Trump secretly changed planes after leaving a NATO summit in Turkey last month because of a possible Iranian threat, according to US media reports.
The US president was seen boarding Air Force One at the airport, but was later moved to another military aircraft in a secret operation. A catering truck was reportedly used to help move him to the smaller plane. Journalists and some White House staff travelling with him did not know that Trump was no longer on Air Force One.
Officials told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that US authorities had detected a credible Iranian threat to fire a missile at Trump’s aircraft. The White House has not confirmed that the plane was switched because of this threat.
Trump had earlier said during the summit in Ankara that he was Iran’s "number one target".
The secret plane change took place a day after the US resumed military strikes on Iran following the collapse of talks between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending the war.
Trump had travelled to Turkey on a newer Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar. However, he had announced that he would return on the older Air Force One "for old time's sake".
On July 8, video showed Trump boarding the presidential aircraft at Ankara airport. But according to The Washington Post, he was then secretly taken to a smaller C-32A military plane. The aircraft is a modified Boeing 757 that is often used by the US vice-president.
The newspaper reported that Trump was moved to the C-32A using a catering truck that had been raised to the aircraft's level. The truck was positioned on the opposite side of the plane from where Trump had boarded.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth boarded the C-32A separately using external stairs. The move was reportedly designed to make the flight appear normal.
Meanwhile, journalists and some White House staff boarded Air Force One. They were reportedly asked to keep the window shades closed and did not know that Trump was no longer on the aircraft.
Trump then travelled to the UK before continuing to the US. After arriving at RAF Mildenhall, he was seen getting off the older Air Force One. It is not clear how he was transferred from the C-32A back to the presidential aircraft.
Trump later boarded the newer Air Force One, the Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar, for his return to Washington.
During the flight, Trump spoke to reporters and discussed the threat from Iran but did not reveal that he had secretly changed planes.
When reporters asked why they had been told to close the window shades on the flight from Turkey, Trump said they were "probably on a dangerous flight" because of the people the US had to deal with.
He also said he faced a "threat all the time" and claimed he was "number one" on Iran's list.
White House communications director Steven Cheung did not directly confirm or deny the reports about the plane switch. He said the new Air Force One was a "state-of-the-art aircraft" with security systems designed to protect the president and his staff.
US intelligence had previously warned about a specific threat against Trump or his aircraft, CBS News had reported earlier.
The New York Times had also reported concerns about the security of the Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar. According to the newspaper, the Secret Service had advised Trump to use a different aircraft when returning from the NATO summit.
Several New York Times journalists were later called to testify under oath over the reports. The US Justice Department told the BBC that it was investigating suspected illegal leaks.
The US has spent months upgrading the $400 million Boeing 747-8 to prepare it for presidential use. Older Air Force One aircraft are equipped with laser systems that can help protect them from incoming missiles, according to sources cited by CBS News. It is not clear what security systems are currently installed on the Qatari aircraft.
"The new Air Force One is perfectly safe for the President's travels, but will receive additional upgrades and enhancements in the fall which will take approximately one month to complete," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to CBS News.
