The US government had doubts regarding an Iranian threat to President Donald Trump, yet proceeded with a deception maneuver during his return journey from the NATO summit in Turkey.
Israel provided US intelligence indicating that Iran threatened the life of Donald Trump. The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel gathered information suggesting Iranian proxies discussed killing Trump during his stay in Turkey.
CIA personnel assessed the intelligence provided by Israel as unconvincing. Many of Trump's staff also considered the information from Israel to be vague and not fully credible. Some US officials suspected that Israel sought to use the warning to push the US toward escalating the war against Iran. Some US intelligence personnel viewed the warning not as intelligence sharing, but as an attempt to influence US regional policy.
The Deception Maneuver
US intelligence agencies investigated a scenario in which Iranian representatives could have fired a shoulder-fired missile at Trump’s aircraft during his departure from Ankara. US officials expressed doubts about the alleged conspiracy to attack the aircraft with a shoulder-fired missile. CNN reported, based on a source, that there was a concrete threat of a shoulder-fired missile against Trump’s aircraft. The New York Times reported, based on two sources, that there was a concrete threat of a ground-to-air missile against Air Force One.
To avoid any risk, the Secret Service decided to carry out a deception maneuver. Although the White House claimed Trump flew out of Ankara on a government aircraft, Trump instead entered a government aircraft in front of cameras before secretly transferring to a catering container placed alongside the plane. A truck then transported Trump from the catering container to a smaller US military aircraft at the airport, which flew him to the UK.
After landing in the UK, Trump’s entourage switched from the blue Boeing 747 to a new jet gifted to Trump by Qatar. Trump then boarded Air Force One at the UK airport, creating the appearance that he had traveled the entire journey in government aircraft. Trump later exited Air Force One in the US in front of cameras.
According to CNN, Iran apparently had detailed information about Trump’s whereabouts in Turkey. The New York Times reported that Tehran knew exactly where Trump was in Ankara, including the floor he was on. The New York Times also reported that Marco Rubio was informed about the threat.
During the flight from Turkey to the UK, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained aboard the government aircraft. Fox News reported that both Rubio and Bessent knew Trump was not aboard the aircraft. The aircraft flying from Turkey to the UK was escorted and protected by fighter jets.
Some White House staff who boarded the government aircraft in Turkey were unaware that Trump was not on board. A group of journalists who regularly accompany the president on trips were also on the aircraft and were not informed about the possible Iranian threat.
That’s all up to the Secret Service.
Trump stated that the deception maneuver was ordered by his security detail and that he follows their instructions. He said, 'I assume there was a threat,' and added, 'I didn’t ask any further.' Regarding the frequency of such incidents, Trump said, 'I get a lot of threats,' noting that presidents who act receive many threats. He also stated, 'It applies to the military too. I do what they say.'
The Washington Post based its reporting on reviewed documents and statements from a US official familiar with the maneuver and another person with details about the president's trip.
