Trump secretly switched planes in Turkey after Iran identified as security threat, reports say

Abi Sarabia M., Philippine Canadian Inquirer
August 12, 2026

Photo courtesy: The White House

United States – US President Donald Trump was secretly transferred to a smaller military aircraft while leaving Turkey last month after reports of a possible assassination threat from Iran, according to the Washington Post.

Video footage from the departure shows Trump waving to members of the media before boarding the older Air Force One in Ankara, following his attendance at the NATO summit. 

After boarding, however, Trump was reportedly moved covertly through a catering truck to a separate aircraft, a C-32A military jet.

According to reports, the larger aircraft may have been used as a decoy amid concerns that Iran could target the plane carrying Trump with a missile.

Trump flew to Britain aboard the smaller C-32A. He was later seen disembarking from the older Air Force One at RAF Mildenhall, continuing the appearance that he had traveled on the larger aircraft throughout the trip.

The incident has renewed questions over the security features of the new Boeing 747-8 gifted to the United States by Qatar, which Trump had used to fly to Turkey for the summit.

The White House has not directly confirmed the secret plane switch. It maintained, however, that the new Air Force One is equipped with high-level security protocols to ensure the president’s safety.