US Changes Air Force One Mid-Flight Over Credible Iranian Proxy Missile Threat

The New York Times reported that the sudden switch of Air Force One planes during President Donald Trump's return flight from the NATO summit in Turkey earlier this month was due to a credible threat from Iranian proxy forces aiming to target the aircraft. The exact group behind the plot was not specified. CBS later confirmed that US intelligence identified a genuine missile attack plan against the plane. The US Ambassador to Israel stated that Israel had alerted the US about the assassination attempt plot against Trump.

Following the NATO summit in Ankara, US intelligence advised Trump to use the older Air Force One plane instead of the newly refurbished one gifted by Qatar, as a security precaution amid escalating tensions with Iran. Trump initially denied security concerns as the reason for the plane swap but acknowledged he was "number one on Iran's hit list." The Wall Street Journal reported that the decision was influenced by intelligence from Israel about a possible assassination attempt, though some US officials questioned the reliability of the threat and suspected Israel might be pushing for a broader conflict with Iran.

The Times detailed that US officials deemed the threat credible enough to warrant the switch to the older plane, which has superior defensive systems compared to the Qatar-donated aircraft. The threat was identified independently from the Israeli warning. Trump expressed anger over earlier reports criticizing the Qatar plane's security capabilities and the administration launched an investigation into the leak, summoning New York Times reporters before canceling the summons.

Trump admitted the Qatar plane lacked certain missile defense systems but said its capabilities would be "maxed out" in combat. The White House declined detailed comments but supported the protective measures taken for the president and his delegation. The threat details were not widely shared within the US government, with some officials citing only general concerns about Iran. Relevant members of Congress were not briefed on the specific threat.