Donald Trump was secretly moved to a different aircraft as he left a Nato summit in Turkey last month, US media report, after US officials said they detected a credible Iranian threat to fire a missile at his plane.
According to the Washington Post, the president boarded Air Force One in view of television cameras and was then transported to a smaller C-32A military aircraft with the help of a catering truck. Journalists and some White House staff on board did not know he had been smuggled out.
Officials told CBS News, the BBC's US partner, that the US had detected the threat. The White House has not confirmed the secret switch. Trump had earlier described himself as Iran's "number one target" during the summit in Ankara.
The manoeuvre came a day after the US renewed military strikes on Iran following a breakdown in negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Trump had arrived in Turkey on a newer Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar, but announced he would leave on the older Air Force One "for old time's sake".
On 8 July, footage showed him boarding the presidential jet at Ankara airport. The Washington Post reported that he was then taken to the C-32A, a modified Boeing 757 often used by the vice-president, via a catering truck raised to plane level on the opposite side. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth boarded separately using external stairs to make the flight appear normal.
Journalists and some White House staff who boarded Air Force One were reportedly told to close their window shades. Trump then flew to the UK, where he rejoined the older Air Force One and was seen descending after it landed at RAF Mildenhall. He later transferred to the newer Qatari-donated jet for the flight back to Washington.
During that flight, Trump spoke to reporters but did not mention the plane swap. Asked why reporters had been told to lower the window shades, he said: "Because you're probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags we have to deal with." He said he faced a "threat all the time" and was "number one" on Iran's list.
White House communications director Steven Cheung did not directly confirm or deny the reports, but said the new Air Force One was a "state-of-the-art aircraft" fitted with security measures. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that the jet was "perfectly safe" and would receive additional upgrades in the fall.
Earlier reporting by CBS News said US intelligence had warned of a specific threat of an attack on Trump or his aircraft. The New York Times previously reported security concerns about the Qatari-gifted jet, including that the Secret Service had urged Trump to switch planes. Several journalists were summoned to testify under oath, and the Justice Department has said it is investigating illegal leaks.
The US has spent months retrofitting the $400m Boeing 747-8 for presidential use. Older Air Force One planes have laser technology to blind incoming missiles, while it is unclear what systems the Qatari jet has.
Source: BBC News
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