A secret flight, Air Force One as a decoy: How Trump avoided the Iranian threat in Turkey

President Donald Trump left Turkey secretly on July 8 aboard a smaller military aircraft due to an assassination threat from the Iranian regime, according to a report on Monday The Washington Post.

In Ankara, Trump boarded the old Air Force One in front of the cameras, and minutes later was secretly transferred to an Air Force C-32A via a catering truck. Air Force One was left behind as a decoy with the press and some White House staff on board, according to a U.S. official and material reviewed by the WaPo. The C-32A flew him to the United Kingdom.

The Iranian threat and the Qatari plane

The Iranian threat had already been cited by several U.S. media outlets as the reason Trump did not leave Turkey on the new Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar, on which he had arrived in the country to attend the NATO summit.

At that time, the president explained that he would use the older Boeing 747 so that U.S. military personnel stationed at an air base in the United Kingdom could tour the new plane.

The New York Times also reported that a threat from Iran prompted the change in aircraft. Journalists traveling on the older Air Force One were asked to keep the window shades closed, which raised further suspicions about possible security concerns.

Doubts about the safety of the Qatari Jet

According to the Times, the aircraft swap also brought the jet gifted by Qatar under scrutiny, as it lacked the same security features as the older aircraft, including anti-missile defenses. The Qatari royal family donated the luxurious aircraft last year, after Trump complained about the condition of the two Boeing 747s that had served as Air Force One since 1990.

In response to inquiries from AFP regarding the Washington Post report, the White House issued a statement from Communications Director Steven Cheung, in which he defended the security of the new aircraft:

"The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been equipped with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the president and his team," Cheung said.