- Credible Iranian threat prompted Trump’s secret Turkey departure.
- Trump publicly boarded decoy, secretly transferred via catering container.
- Journalists unknowingly participated in President’s elaborate security deception.
Top US officials orchestrated an elaborate deception to secretly move President Donald Trump out of Turkey during last month’s NATO summit after an Iranian threat against him was deemed credible, according to two senior US officials.
Trump was publicly shown boarding an older version of Air Force One in full view of television cameras before being secretly transferred to a military aircraft using a catering container. Journalists travelling with him were left unaware that the presidential aircraft they had boarded was being used as a decoy, as per The New York Times.
Trump and other officials had said he would leave Turkey on July 8 aboard an older Boeing 747 used as Air Force One, rather than the newer Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar on which he had arrived. Trump had publicly attributed the switch to “old time’s sake”.
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He did board the older aircraft through its left-side door in front of cameras. However, according to one US official familiar with the operation, Trump was later moved off the aircraft through the opposite side in a catering container. He was then taken to a third aircraft and flown secretly to Britain.
The reporters accompanying Trump were not informed that he was no longer on their aircraft as it travelled from Turkey to a military base in Britain. They and some White House staff members therefore unwittingly became part of the decoy operation.
Trump was secretly transferred back to the older Air Force One after reaching Britain. He then disembarked in front of reporters and walked across the tarmac to the Qatari-donated aircraft, which he used for the onward journey to Washington.
Iran Threat Triggered Secret Operation
The operation was reportedly put together within hours after US officials determined that a threat against Trump from Iran was credible.
The threat was not specifically linked to the Qatari-donated aircraft. People familiar with the matter said Trump was considered a target regardless of which aircraft he was travelling on.
Trump was briefed about the threat while in Turkey, after which a small group of senior officials developed the plan. Those involved included Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Dan Caine and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to a US official familiar with the operation.
The Washington Post had previously reported that a C-32A, a military version of the Boeing 757, was used to secretly transport Trump from Turkey to Britain.
The White House had earlier hinted that deception may have been used during Trump’s departure from Turkey. White House communications director Steven Cheung had said that “distraction and misdirection” were among the tools used to address threats against the President.
The White House later reissued that statement without the reference to “distraction and misdirection”.
Reporters Kept In Dark
When Trump arrived at the airport in Turkey, cameras captured him boarding the older Air Force One. Reporters travelling with him boarded separately, with only a brief glimpse of the President.
A press pool report also said journalists had been instructed to keep the window shades in the press cabin closed during the flight.
The older aircraft landed at RAF Mildenhall in England at 10.16pm, according to the press pool report. Trump was seen disembarking around 40 minutes later.
However, the President had secretly been transferred to the aircraft before the reporters realised what had happened. He subsequently walked to the Qatari-donated jet, which he and the press pool then boarded for the flight back to Washington.
Asked why he had travelled on the older Air Force One to Britain, Trump said he wanted troops stationed at the UK base to see the new aircraft.
He also said he was unaware of any specific threat when questioned about the decision to keep the window shades closed, while describing himself as being under constant threat from Iran.
Long-Standing Iran Threats
Trump and several of his advisers have faced threats from Iran for years, particularly after Trump ordered the killing of Iranian commander Maj Gen Qassim Suleimani during his first term.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump’s advisers privately told allies that intelligence indicated Iran continued to seek his death. Decoy aircraft were reportedly used on some occasions, with Trump travelling on a secret jet while staff members flew his private aircraft.
The security concerns intensified after US intelligence indicated possible plots against Trump. He subsequently survived two separate assassination attempts in 2024, including the attack at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
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The threats have contributed to heightened security around Trump and his inner circle, influencing how his administration interacts with the media and other officials.
The latest revelation is also significant because reporters assigned to accompany the President were deliberately kept unaware of his actual whereabouts, turning them into unwitting participants in the security deception.
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