CIA Questions Israeli Intelligence on Assassination Plot but Executes Trump Rescue Operation

American intelligence officials expressed doubts about the reliability of Israeli intelligence regarding an alleged Iranian assassination plot targeting then-President Donald Trump during the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. According to a Washington Post report, the CIA did not find the Israeli information convincing and conveyed these concerns to senior U.S. government officials. Despite these significant doubts, U.S. intelligence and security agencies decided not to take any risks and proceeded with a secret rescue operation to ensure Trump's safety.

The operation involved smuggling Trump out of the summit venue in a catering truck, while senior administration officials acted as decoys. A U.S. source described the Israeli intelligence as originating outside the U.S. and considered to have a low confidence level. This source also suggested that some officials viewed Israeli intelligence reports as attempts to influence presidential decision-making rather than purely to inform.

Earlier reports from the New York Times highlighted the seriousness of the Iranian surveillance, noting that Tehran agents had precise information about Trump's location in Ankara, including the exact floor of the building he was in. During a security briefing at the summit, a man armed with a shoulder-fired missile was identified, underscoring the threat's gravity. These intelligence details prompted an unprecedented decision by U.S. military and secret service to evacuate the president covertly, using the catering container as a disguise while the older Air Force One aircraft served as a decoy.