President Donald Trump was reportedly moved from the presidential Boeing 747 to a smaller military aircraft under tight secrecy while leaving Turkey in July after U.S. officials received what one source described as a credible Iranian threat against him.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump was secretly transferred to an alternate U.S. military aircraft while departing Turkey last month as part of an elaborate security operation prompted by a reported Iranian assassination threat, according to The Washington Post.
The operation occurred July 8 as Trump prepared to leave Ankara following a NATO summit, amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Television cameras initially captured Trump boarding the familiar blue-and-white Boeing 747 that serves as Air Force One whenever the president is aboard.
Minutes later, however, Trump and several aides were secretly removed from the aircraft in an airport catering truck and transported to an Air Force C-32A, a modified Boeing 757, according to officials and other sources cited by the Post.
The larger Boeing 747 then departed carrying journalists and some White House personnel who reportedly did not know the president was traveling aboard a different aircraft.
A U.S. official characterized the Iranian threat that prompted the maneuver as credible.
Trump’s C-32A flew from Turkey to Britain using the military call sign “Reach 18,” or “RCH18,” instead of Air Force One. Its tracking transponder was also turned off during the flight.
The security operation took place one night after U.S. forces resumed strikes against Iran at Trump’s direction following the collapse of negotiations intended to end the months-long conflict between the two countries.
Turkey is both a NATO member and U.S. ally and shares a border with Iran.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth separately boarded the C-32A using exterior stairs in an apparent effort to make activity around the aircraft appear routine. Hegseth traveled with Trump to Britain.
Meanwhile, journalists boarding the legacy presidential Boeing 747 in Ankara were instructed by White House staff to close their window shades, according to a media pool report cited by the newspaper.
The White House publicly said Trump had departed Turkey aboard the legacy Air Force One.
Trump had previously announced on social media that he intended to use the older aircraft rather than the Boeing 747-8 provided to the United States by Qatar and recently placed into presidential service.
White House communications director Steven Cheung did not directly address the reported aircraft switch when responding to the Post, but he defended the security of the newer presidential plane.
“The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff,” Cheung said.
“As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats.”
A Pentagon spokesman referred questions about the reported operation to the White House. The Secret Service did not respond to the newspaper’s request for comment.
Concerns about Iranian threats directed at Trump and other U.S. officials have persisted for years and intensified during the current conflict with Tehran.
The New York Times and CBS News reported last month that U.S. intelligence officials had identified a specific threat involving a possible attack against Trump or his aircraft, resulting in additional security precautions.
The reported operation also came shortly after Trump began using the Boeing 747-8 supplied by Qatar.
That aircraft underwent hundreds of millions of dollars in modifications before entering presidential service but does not contain all of the defensive countermeasures installed on the legacy presidential aircraft, according to previous reports.
Public flight-tracking information examined by the Post showed the Qatari-provided aircraft arriving first at RAF Mildenhall in Britain on July 8.
The legacy Boeing 747 carrying journalists and White House personnel was identified by public flight-tracking services as “AF1,” despite Trump reportedly not being aboard.
The C-32A carrying Trump arrived at the British base shortly before the legacy aircraft, according to videos reviewed by the Post.
After arriving, Trump appeared before television cameras and descended the stairs of the legacy Boeing 747, creating the appearance that he had traveled aboard it.
He later boarded the newer presidential aircraft for the return flight to Washington.
The White House said that night that Trump had arrived at the British base “aboard the former Air Force One” and posted a photograph of the legacy aircraft.
During the return trip to Washington, reporters asked Trump why journalists had been instructed to close their window shades before leaving Turkey.
“Because you’re probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleaze bags that we have to deal with,” Trump said.
Trump said he faces a “threat all the time” and described himself as “number one” on Iran’s list.
“But if I go, you go. Right?” Trump told reporters. “Perhaps someday you want to change professions.”
Air Force One is not the designation of one particular airplane. It is the air traffic control call sign assigned to any U.S. Air Force aircraft while the president is aboard.
Original article
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