U.S. officials secretly moved Donald Trump to a separate military aircraft during a July NATO summit to mitigate a credible threat from Iran.
Key facts
- •Trump was moved from the older Air Force One to a C-32A military jet via a catering container.
- •The operation was prompted by a credible threat from Iran identified during the NATO summit in Türkiye.
- •Journalists traveling with the president were not informed of the switch and served as decoys.
- •Trump arrived in Türkiye on a Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar, which has faced security scrutiny.
- •Trump has faced persistent Iranian threats since the 2020 killing of Gen. Qassim Suleimani.
President Donald Trump was secretly flown out of Türkiye on a military jet following a credible Iranian threat identified during last month's NATO summit. While the public and traveling press believed Trump departed on the older Air Force One on July 8, he was actually moved through a catering container to a C-32A military plane. This deception was intended to conceal his true location and protect him from potential attackers.
By the numbers
Operation Details and Deception
Reporters traveling with the president remained on the older Air Force One, unknowingly serving as decoys while Trump flew separately to Britain. The operation was organized within hours after officials determined the threat was credible. Trump was moved through a catering container positioned on the side of the aircraft away from journalists, who were not informed of the switch. The decoy aircraft landed at Royal Air Force Mildenhall in England at 10:16 p.m., with Trump appearing about 40 minutes later after being transferred back to the older plane.
Security Context and Planning
The planning involved a small group of senior officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine. While the White House initially stated that "distraction and misdirection" were used to counter threats, that phrase was later removed from the statement. Former Secret Service agent Donald Mihalek noted that the agency has previously utilized decoy transport to protect presidents in high-risk areas.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Daily Sabah.
