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Donald Trump had arrived aboard the newly inducted Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8 but the US Secret Service later advised him to leave on the older Air Force One.
US President Donald Trump (Source: Reuters)
US President Donald Trump reportedly switched aircraft during his visit to Turkey earlier this month after American intelligence received a credible threat from Iranian proxy forces targeting him, The New York Times reported.
The report said the threat emerged while Donald Trump was attending the NATO summit in Ankara. He had arrived aboard the newly inducted Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8 but the US Secret Service later advised him to leave on the older Air Force One after receiving intelligence about the potential attack.
Officials familiar with the matter told the newspaper that the threat was aimed at Donald Trump and whichever aircraft he was travelling in, rather than the new Boeing specifically.
While the White House initially described the aircraft swap as a routine decision, officials now say it was prompted by security concerns linked to Iran. At the time, Donald Trump publicly claimed he had changed planes so US service members stationed in Britain could tour the newer aircraft, dismissing speculation that the move was security-related.
The reported threat has also reignited scrutiny over the Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8, which lacks some of the advanced defensive systems installed on the ageing Air Force One fleet.
When recently asked about the aircraft’s anti-missile capabilities, Donald Trump said it would soon be “maxed out”. The roughly 14-year-old aircraft underwent an accelerated retrofit before entering presidential service and is expected to undergo another month-long round of upgrades later this year.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the aircraft is “perfectly safe” for presidential travel but confirmed it will receive additional enhancements in the coming months, during which Donald Trump will again use the older Air Force One.
According to the report, the Turkey threat was separate from intelligence allegedly shared by Israel regarding other Iranian plots targeting Trump. Some US officials reportedly viewed the Israeli intelligence with scepticism, believing it may have been intended to encourage a stronger US military response against Iran.
The alleged threat surfaced as tensions between Washington and Tehran remained high following renewed US strikes on Iran.
Speaking during the summit, Donald Trump acknowledged he believed he was a target.
“They want to take out the US leader – me. I’m on every list… So far, I guess I’ve been a little bit lucky, but that maybe doesn’t last very long,” he said.
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
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