Donald Trump was secretly moved from Air Force One to a smaller military aircraft after leaving a Nato summit in Turkey last month, according to US media reports citing concerns over a possible Iranian threat.
The Washington Post reported that the US president visibly boarded Air Force One at Ankara airport on 8 July before being transferred, out of public view, to a C-32A military aircraft. The aircraft, a modified Boeing 757, is often used by the vice-president.
According to the newspaper, Trump was transported through a catering truck raised to aircraft level on the side of the plane opposite his boarding point. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly boarded the C-32A separately using external stairs, while journalists and some White House staff remained on Air Force One without knowing the president had left it.
Officials told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that intelligence agencies had detected a credible Iranian threat to fire a missile at the presidential aircraft. The White House has not confirmed the reported switch.
Travel route and security questions
Trump flew to the United Kingdom on the C-32A, the Washington Post reported, and later rejoined the older Air Force One before it arrived at RAF Mildenhall. It remains unclear how he was transferred back to that aircraft. He subsequently boarded a Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar for the flight to Washington.
Trump had arrived in Turkey on the newer Qatari-donated aircraft, but said he would depart on the older Air Force One “for old time’s sake”. During the later flight to the United States, he referred to threats from Iran but did not mention any earlier aircraft change.
Asked why reporters aboard the flight from Turkey had been directed to close window shades, Trump said they were “probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags we have to deal with.” He said he faced a threat to his life “all the time” and was “number one” on Iran’s list.
White House communications director Steven Cheung did not directly confirm or deny the reports, saying the Qatari aircraft was a state-of-the-art plane with security measures for the president and staff. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CBS News the aircraft was safe for presidential travel but would receive further upgrades in the fall.
The reported operation came after the United States renewed military strikes on Iran following the collapse of negotiations aimed at ending the war between Washington and Tehran.
Source: BBC News
