CIA Questions Israeli Intelligence on Iran Threat to Trump but Secret Service Acts Cautiously

In July, following the NATO summit in Ankara, Israeli intelligence warned the United States of a potential Iranian assassination attempt on President Donald Trump as he was departing Turkey. The threat involved an individual reportedly seen near the summit carrying a shoulder-fired missile, with Iranian operatives allegedly aware of Trump's exact location in Ankara, including the floor of his building. This intelligence prompted the U.S. Secret Service to execute an unusual deception operation to conceal Trump's whereabouts during his exit from Turkey.

Despite the seriousness of the threat, the CIA expressed skepticism about the credibility of the Israeli intelligence, describing it as "low confidence" and doubting its reliability. Some American intelligence officials suggested that Israel's warnings might have been intended to influence U.S. policy decisions rather than solely to alert about an imminent danger. Nevertheless, the Secret Service, which had previously managed three assassination threats against Trump, chose not to take any risks and carried out the protective measures.

The operation involved Trump boarding Air Force One in front of cameras, then being secretly transported to a military plane inside a food container to leave Turkey. Journalists traveling with Trump were instructed to keep window shades closed. Upon arrival in the UK, Trump was discreetly returned to the original presidential plane and later appeared publicly as usual. The intelligence scenario envisioned a heavily armed assailant bypassing NATO summit security to launch a missile at the president's plane from about half a mile away.

American officials noted that tens of thousands of Turkish security personnel were involved in protecting the summit, raising doubts about the feasibility of such an attack. Nonetheless, the Secret Service prioritized the president's safety over intelligence uncertainties. Trump himself acknowledged the decision to switch planes was made by the Secret Service, stating, "I just do what they want. They wanted me to fly on a different plane with the same level of safety. I do what they say."

The Iranian threat to Trump and other U.S. officials has been a significant concern since the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani and has intensified following the recent assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior figures, marking escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran.