Catering Truck and Decoy Jet: Secret Mission To Protect Trump From Iranian Threat

A credible Iranian assassination plot targeting President Donald Trump prompted a classified security operation last month in which the president was covertly transferred to a different military aircraft while journalists and some White House staff believed he remained aboard Air Force One, according to reporting by The Washington Post.

The operation was conducted with strict secrecy, keeping embedded reporters and several White House personnel unaware of Trump's relocation. The Post's account drew from operational documents, a US official involved in the mission, and another source with knowledge of presidential travel procedures.

Publicly, the White House stated that Trump departed Turkey on July 8 aboard Air Force One. Trump had previously indicated on social media his intention to fly the "former Air Force One" Rather than the Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar, citing security concerns and mentioning planned defensive upgrades.

Television footage showed Trump boarding the familiar blue-and-white Air Force One in Ankara. Shortly after, officials moved him to a smaller Air Force C-32A using an airport catering truck typically employed to load food onto aircraft, according to a US official and records reviewed by the Post. The larger aircraft continued as a decoy, carrying press members and White House staff who believed the president remained aboard.

Trump was in Ankara attending a NATO summit. The transfer occurred the night after he ordered fresh US airstrikes against Iranian targets following collapsed negotiations between Washington and Tehran over ongoing hostilities.

The operation concealed Trump's location for several hours from both the public and numerous senior government officials. Weeks later, the extent of administration awareness remained unclear.

When presented with details by the Post, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said, "The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff," And added, "As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats."

A Pentagon spokesman declined comment, directing inquiries to the White House. The Secret Service did not respond to requests for comment.

The Post's reporting followed earlier New York Times reporting revealing that US officials changed Trump's aircraft after receiving intelligence about a credible assassination threat from Iranian proxy groups targeting the president and his plane. Israeli intelligence had warned American agencies of Iranian plots against Trump, though some US officials regarded the intelligence cautiously, concerned it could encourage a more aggressive American military response.

According to Times sources, the specific threat prompting the aircraft switch in Turkey was separate from Israeli-shared intelligence.

While in Ankara, roughly 1,000 miles from Tehran, the United States launched renewed strikes against Iranian targets. Trump acknowledged Iran's repeated attempts to target him, stating, "They want to take out the US leader, me. I'm on every list. I saw this morning, I'm on every single one of their lists. And so far, I guess I've been a little bit lucky, but that maybe doesn't last very long."