Israel Warns US of Iranian Assassination Plot Against Trump, Prompting Secret Evacuation from Turkey

On August 11, 2026, during the NATO summit in Turkey, Israel alerted the US government to an Iranian threat against then-President Donald Trump, including the potential use of shoulder-fired missiles targeting Air Force One, according to a US source cited by the Wall Street Journal. Following this intelligence, a covert operation was launched to secretly evacuate Trump from Turkey. Initially, Trump appeared to board an old Air Force One aircraft in front of the media. However, he was soon moved into a catering truck at the airport and driven out of sight to a nearby smaller military plane, a C-32A, from which he flew to a US base in the UK. This maneuver was disguised by claiming that US troops wanted to photograph the old Air Force One plane.

The operation was kept so secret that even some of Trump's staff were unaware he had switched planes. For weeks, it was believed Trump had returned to Washington aboard the old Air Force One, while the new presidential plane, gifted by Qatar, flew separately to the UK. Journalists and some White House officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, boarded the old plane thinking Trump was with them, while he had already departed on the military aircraft. The Iranian threat and plane switch were revealed last month after initial denials, but the Wall Street Journal report now details the deception at the airport.

The White House declined to comment directly on most details of the investigation. White House Communications Director Stephen Chung stated that the new plane is equipped with "high-level security protocols" designed to ensure the safety of the president and his team.