A missile threat in Türkiye prompted the US Secret Service to secretly move President Donald Trump from Air Force One to a smaller government jet on July 8, according to a person briefed on the operation.
The threat emerged in Ankara on the final day of Trump’s visit for the NATO summit. The source said the Secret Service considered it credible and imminent and had little time to organise the aircraft switch.
Trump and a small group of aides used a catering truck to discreetly reach a C-32A aircraft. Air Force One departed separately with senior administration officials, White House staff and members of the travelling press corps.
Trump later said the Secret Service directed the change. The smaller aircraft flew from Ankara to a refuelling stop in Britain without incident.
A second person briefed on the matter said those hostile to Trump had shown intent but did not have a clear plan to carry out an attack.
Douglas Birkey, executive director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, said the threat could have involved a heat-seeking missile. Such weapons can target aircraft engines without emitting the radio signals associated with traditional radar-guided systems.
The Washington Post first reported details of the security operation more than a month later. The New York Times separately reported that US officials became concerned after discovering that Iranians knew where Trump was staying in Ankara, including the floor of his hotel.
Read:Trump Plane Switch Evaded Reported Iran Threat in Turkey
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other officials remained aboard Air Force One during the operation. Turkish officials had not immediately commented on the reported threat.
