President Donald Trump secretly departed a NATO summit in Turkey on July 8 aboard a C-32A military aircraft, a smaller Boeing 757 variant, after U.S. intelligence detected a credible Iranian threat to fire a missile at his plane, according to reporting by The Washington Post and confirmed by CBS News.
The elaborate security operation unfolded at Ankara airport after Trump announced he would fly home on the older Air Force One “for old time’s sake.” Footage showed him boarding the presidential jet in full view of television cameras and journalists. Minutes later, he was secretly transferred via an airport catering truck to the waiting C-32A on the opposite side of the tarmac, according to The Washington Post.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boarded the C-32A separately using external stairs to make the flight appear routine. Journalists and some White House staff remained aboard Air Force One, which served as a decoy aircraft, unaware the president had departed. They were instructed to close their window shades during the flight, the Post reported.
The C-32A, a modified Boeing 757 commonly used to transport U.S. government officials, flew Trump to RAF Mildenhall in Britain before he transferred to the newer Qatari-donated Air Force One for the final leg home. How he moved from the C-32A back to the legacy jet remains unclear, according to reporting.
The secret operation came one day after the U.S. renewed military strikes on Iran following a breakdown in negotiations between Washington and Tehran to end the war. Trump had claimed during the summit that he was Iran’s “number one target.” Officials told CBS News that U.S. intelligence assessed the Iranian threat as credible, though the White House has not publicly confirmed the details of the plane swap.
The incident underscores ongoing security concerns surrounding Trump’s aircraft. Earlier reporting by The New York Times found that the new Qatari-gifted Boeing 747-8, which the U.S. spent months retrofitting at a cost of $400 million, lacked the laser technology to blind incoming missiles that older Air Force One planes possess. The Secret Service had previously urged Trump to switch to the older aircraft for his return from the NATO summit due to security gaps in the newer jet.
During a flight from the UK to Washington aboard the Qatari jet, Trump spoke to reporters about the threats posed by Iran but did not mention the earlier plane swap. When asked why reporters had been instructed to close window shades on the flight from Turkey, he said: “Because you’re probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags we have to deal with.” He noted he faces “a threat all the time” on his life and that he is “number one” on Iran’s “list.”
Sources
- The Washington Post — First detailed reporting on the secret C-32A flight, catering truck transfer, and elaborate deception operation.
- BBC News — Confirmation of the plane swap, Iranian missile threat, and step-by-step details of the operation at Ankara airport.
- CBS News — Confirmation of credible Iranian threat to fire a missile, reporting on security concerns with Qatari-gifted aircraft.
- Reuters — Reporting on the C-32A flight to Britain and arrival time.
