Trump secretly flew out of Turkey on a military aircraft due to the Iranian threat.
Trump had gone to Turkey to attend the NATO summit. At the end of the summit, however, a threat of assassination against him was detected from Iran, and his return plan was changed.
US President Donald Trump used a secret military flight after the NATO summit when flying from Turkey to the United Kingdom due to an assassination threat originating from Iran. Reuters reported this.
According to reports, Trump boarded the old Air Force One aircraft in Ankara in front of journalists. However, he did not fly on that plane. The President was secretly transported to another location in the airport's catering service vehicle and transferred to a smaller C-32A military aircraft.
The C-32A took Trump to the RAF Mildenhall military base in the United Kingdom. During this time, journalists and some White House staff believed the President was on board the old Air Force One.
According to the Washington Post, the secret operation was prompted by a credible threat against Trump originating from Iran. The old Air Force One was used as a decoy aircraft to create the impression that the President was traveling on it.
Journalists were advised to keep the window shades in the aircraft's press cabin closed during the flight. Trump later explained this by saying the plane was on a "potentially dangerous flight."
Trump had arrived in Ankara for the NATO summit on an upgraded Boeing 747 aircraft gifted to the US by Qatar. He announced he would fly on the old Air Force One after the summit, while the new aircraft was to travel separately to the RAF Mildenhall base.
The C-32A arrived in the United Kingdom a few minutes before the old Air Force One. Trump later transferred back to the presidential aircraft and headed to Washington.
The White House responded to reports about the secret flight, stating that the aircraft gifted by Qatar is equipped with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff.
According to the White House Director of Communications, the US President faces many enemies who pose threats, and "all available means" are employed against such threats. The Pentagon has not yet commented on the reports.
The Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar is intended for temporary use as the presidential aircraft in the US. The plane was refitted by defense contractor L3Harris Technologies.
