Multiple outlets report that President Donald Trump changed aircraft while in Turkey earlier this month due to a credible threat involving Iranian proxy forces. According to a New York Times report cited by both outlets, U.S. officials determined there was a threat directed at Trump and the president’s aircraft—specifically Air Force One—while he was attending a NATO summit.
The reports say the shift occurred during Trump’s departure from Ankara. He arrived in Turkey aboard a Boeing 747-8 associated with a Qatar-donated aircraft. One of the key details across the accounts is that this newer jet did not have the same advanced defensive capabilities as the older Air Force One. Trump later flew home on the older Air Force One after the threat assessment.
The Jerusalem Post adds that Trump had publicly described the swap as being done “for old time’s sake,” though the later reporting frames the decision as a security measure. The outlets attribute the threat information to U.S. officials and the New York Times, without providing further specifics on the proxy group or evidence behind the assessment.
