Intelligence experts in the United States expressed ‘skepticism’ regarding claims of an Iranian threat that prompted former President Donald Trump to discreetly change aircraft on his way back from the NATO summit last month.
In a secretive maneuver, Trump was moved from Air Force One to a smaller C-32A aircraft, using a catering truck for concealment, due to intelligence concerns about a potential assassination plot.
Both active and former US officials shared with The Washington Post that this alleged assassination threat was brought to the CIA’s attention by Israeli sources.
Nevertheless, the intelligence analysts did not find the information sufficiently convincing and communicated their doubts to officials within the Trump administration, according to someone with direct knowledge of the matter.
Another informant portrayed the threats against Trump’s life as originating from Israel rather than from US sources, and described the intelligence as carrying a ‘low-confidence’ label.
The revelation that some US officials doubted the threat adds a new layer to the White House’s decision to conceal Trump’s whereabouts as he left the NATO summit in Ankara on July 8.
It comes after reporting from The Post earlier this week revealed that Trump was originally expected to leave Turkey aboard the new Boeing 747-8 gifted to the US by Qatar.
But concerns emerged that the new aircraft lacked the same security protections and communications capabilities as the regular Air Force One, prompting the president to instead board the older jet.
US intelligence officials told the Washington Post they were ‘skeptical’ of the alleged Iranian threat that led Trump to secretly switch planes while returning from last month’s NATO summit
The president was covertly smuggled off Air Force One and onto a smaller C-32A aircraft via a catering truck after intelligence officials raised concerns about a possible Iranian assassination attempt last month
Both current and former US officials told The Washington Post that the assassination threat was relayed to the CIA by the Israeli government
In a highly unusual and secretive move, Trump then slipped off the legacy Air Force One without the public’s knowledge and was shuttled in an airport catering truck to a third aircraft – an Air Force C-32A that flew him and a handful of key aides to the United Kingdom.
The elaborate ruse fooled those on board the old Air Force One, leaving unsuspecting journalists and even some senior White House staffers none the wiser as they flew aboard the ‘decoy’ Air Force One.
‘As the President has said, he has faced numerous threats on his life, including ones from Iran, and every measure is taken to ensure his safety,’ a US official said in a statement to The Post.
The official, like the other sources cited in the outlet’s report, spoke on condition of anonymity.
‘The United States Secret Service’s core mission is protecting the President, which they achieved,’ the source added.
But some US officials believe this was not an isolated incident.
They pointed to what they described as Israel sharing the warning not only to protect Trump, but also to influence his political decisions.
Officials suggested that such efforts could ultimately shape how the US approaches Iran, Turkey and other countries across the Middle East.
The elaborate ruse fooled those on board the old Air Force One, leaving unsuspecting journalists and even some senior White House staffers in the dark
A source told The Post that the reported threats against the president’s life were ‘Israeli-derived’ rather than US-generated and said they were considered low-confidence intelligence
While Israel sees Iran as its most immediate threat, it also considers Turkey a medium- to long-term danger and is increasingly uneasy about the growing closeness between Washington and Ankara, according to the current official.
That relationship has been strengthened by Trump’s personal rapport with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The former official told The Post that the warning ‘fit a broader pattern’ of Israeli intelligence reporting that some US officials believe is designed as much to shape presidential decision-making as to inform it.
Despite being briefed on the Israeli threat intelligence and the Secret Service’s elaborate deception plan, Rubio still boarded the legacy Air Force One, which the source said presumably would have been an Iranian target.
Another US official familiar with security talks questioned how serious the threat really was, pointing to the tens of thousands of Turkish security personnel deployed for last month’s NATO summit.
Democrats have meanwhile pressed the administration to provide more details about the extraordinary deception operation.
‘I am very curious about the extent to which the Israeli-provided intelligence was not only credible but independently verifiable,’ Sen Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) told The Post.
‘I have no doubt that Iran would like to see the president gone, but this all seems a little fantastical,’ he added.
US Intelligence officials pointed to what they described as Israel sharing the warning not only to protect Trump, but also to influence his political decisions
While Israel sees Iran as its most immediate threat, it also considers Turkey a medium- to long-term danger
Officials suggested that such efforts by the Israeli government could ultimately shape how the US approaches Iran, Turkey and other countries across the Middle East
The president initially flew to the summit in Turkey aboard a new Qatari-gifted 747-8 jet before announcing he would return via the UK on an older Air Force One model ‘for old times’ sake.’
On Tuesday, Trump said he consented to the switch following a request from the Secret Service.
‘I just follow what they’d like me to do,’ he said when asked about the plot as he was on his way back from the 2026 Patriot Games in Ohio. ‘They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane, equal safety, so I do it. I do what they say.’
He also minimized the significance of the intel which prompted the secret flight.
‘I guess there was a threat out there. I didn’t really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats,’ Trump added.
The president also said he felt the C-32A he was aboard was more dangerous than the Air Force One jet which took off with unsuspecting journalists and White House staffers on board as a decoy.
‘I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk! I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane, I think that they would be more likely to go for it,’ he said.
Meanwhile, after the bizarre switch, Trump spoke to journalists for about 15 minutes highlighting the threat that Iran poses.
When asked why reporters were ordered to lower their window shades on the plane in Turkey, Trump said it was ‘because you’re probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleaze bags that we have to deal with.’
He then added that he has a ‘threat all the time’ on his life and that he is ‘number one’ on Iran’s ‘list.’