US Secretly Diverts Trump from Air Force One Over Iranian Missile Threat Based on Israeli Intelligence

In May 2024, Israeli intelligence alerted the United States to a potential Iranian missile threat targeting Air Force One while President Donald Trump was aboard. The intelligence suggested Iranian proxies in Turkey might attempt to launch a shoulder-fired missile (MANPADS) from approximately 800 meters away near a NATO summit airport. Although American and Turkish officials found no concrete evidence that the suspects possessed the missile or launcher, the ongoing conflict with Iran and the limited time to verify the threat prompted the US Secret Service to act cautiously.

Despite skepticism within the US government about the feasibility of the attack and suspicions that Israel might be trying to influence US policy against Iran, the intelligence sharing was officially attributed to close security cooperation. The US also gathered its own intelligence, which failed to conclusively confirm the threat but did not rule it out. Given the high stakes and the continuous stream of threats against Trump, the Secret Service devised a deception operation.

Trump was initially shown publicly boarding Air Force One, but was secretly transferred via a catering truck to a secondary military aircraft from which he flew to Turkey. Some senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, remained on the decoy plane, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accompanied Trump on the secret flight. The White House had intended to keep the operation confidential until the Washington Post revealed it, sparking debate over presidential security in a NATO capital.

This extraordinary security measure highlights the complexity and uncertainty surrounding intelligence on Iranian threats to the US president, and the lengths taken to mitigate potential risks during a period of heightened tensions in the region.