Iranian threat prompted President Trump to use older Air Force One for NATO departure from Turkey
Israeli intelligence provided no ‘specific’ threat, US officials say
A warning from Israeli intelligence about an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump prompted a last-minute change of aircraft as he departed the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, according to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report published on Friday.
Trump flew to Ankara aboard the new Air Force One donated by Qatar but departed the NATO summit on an older presidential aircraft.
The new Boeing 747-8, which Qatar donated to the United States, left Ankara ahead of the president last Wednesday. Trump later boarded the aircraft in Mildenhall, England.
Trump said the newer aircraft departed early to allow U.S. military personnel to tour it. However, when asked whether security concerns prompted the change in flight plans, the president responded that he is “number one on their [target] list.”
According to two U.S. officials who spoke to ABC, the change was not due to a concrete threat, but was related to differences in the security capabilities of the two planes. This report was corroborated by The New York Times, which reported that the newer plane “lacks the same defensive countermeasures that were security features of the old model, including its advanced antimissile capabilities.”
The lack of these capabilities is a liability when flying abroad, the report added, highlighting questions over the president’s push to have the aircraft quickly retrofitted for his use in 2025.
However, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said the Qatar-donated plane “has been fitted with high-level security protocols.”
According to U.S. media, when the older Air Force One finally departed, passengers were instructed to leave their window coverings closed during takeoff, and the plane only turned on its tracking transponder after it began flying over the Black Sea.
The Wall Street Journal cited Israeli intelligence as the source of the warning that prompted the Secret Service to request a change of aircraft. However, Hebrew media reports, along with a report by CNN, said that a separate Western intelligence source had provided an earlier warning.
The two U.S. sources said there was no indication of a specific Iranian plot to assassinate Trump, but said there had been increased “chatter” coinciding with the funeral of assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the president’s visit to neighboring Turkey.
Additionally, the WSJ reported that Israel has been urging Trump to resume a more intensive bombing campaign aimed at degrading Iran’s military capabilities, citing American officials who expressed concern that the warning may have been shared in an effort to influence U.S. policy.
The Israeli embassy in Washington denied any ulterior motives, arguing that Israel routinely shares intelligence with the U.S. due to the close partnership between the countries.
Over the weekend, the Trump administration issued subpoenas to several New York Times journalists in connection with the newspaper’s reporting on potential security concerns surrounding the Qatari aircraft. The subpoenas appear aimed at identifying administration officials who may have disclosed potentially classified information. The NYT said it intends to challenge the subpoenas.
