Fearing a possible Iranian attack, US President Donald Trump secretly switched aircraft after his visit to Turkey last month, according to a CNN report.

As part of a highly classified and dramatic security operation, Trump reportedly left the old Air Force One through a food-supply truck and was transferred to a smaller military aircraft. CNN cited a US official as the source of the information.

The Washington Post first reported the secret aircraft switch, which was later confirmed by CNN.

According to the reports, the unprecedented operation was carried out to counter a potential Iranian threat against Trump and ensure his safety. However, details about the nature of the alleged threat have not been disclosed.

Trump had travelled to Turkey last month to attend a NATO summit. He arrived in the country aboard a new aircraft gifted by Qatar, which is being prepared for eventual use as Air Force One.

Before his departure from Turkey, however, it was suddenly announced that Trump would leave aboard the older presidential aircraft instead of the new plane. At the time, the change was attributed to security reasons.

It has now emerged that the aircraft switch itself may have been part of a broader security plan, according to US media reports.

At Esenboga Airport in Ankara, Trump reportedly boarded the old Air Force One but later secretly exited the aircraft. A food-supply truck was allegedly used to move him out of the plane. He was then transferred to a smaller Air Force C-32A aircraft.

Later, the Qatar-gifted aircraft, the old Air Force One and the C-32A each departed separately for the United Kingdom.

After arriving in the UK, Trump boarded the new Qatar-gifted aircraft and returned to the United States aboard that plane.

The security operation appears to have resulted in journalists and officials travelling with Trump unknowingly being placed on a “decoy” aircraft.

A group of journalists accompanying the president was tasked with regularly tracking and documenting his movements. Information gathered by them later revealed several unusual aspects of Trump’s journey from Turkey.

At 8:26pm local time, Trump was seen aboard the old Air Force One in Ankara. Seventeen minutes later, at 8:43pm, the aircraft took off.

However, journalists aboard the plane were instructed to keep the curtains covering the windows of the press cabin closed. CNN noted that such an instruction was highly unusual during a presidential trip.

Trump himself later told reporters, “You’re probably on a dangerous flight.”

The old Air Force One landed at the Royal Air Force Mildenhall base in the UK at 10:29pm local time.

After landing, however, journalists reportedly took around 20 minutes to reach their designated positions to film the president disembarking. Normally, reporters are positioned within minutes of the presidential aircraft landing.

Videos reviewed by CNN showed that the aircraft door had already been opened and the stairs were ready before the journalists had prepared their cameras. An unusually large number of security personnel were also visible on the runway.

About a minute after the journalists’ cameras were ready, Trump was seen stepping off the old Air Force One.

At 11:01pm, Trump was seen boarding the new Qatar-gifted Air Force One. Video recorded by journalists showed him moving from one aircraft to another.

Journalists Were Unaware of the Reason for the Aircraft Switch

When asked why the aircraft had been changed, Trump told reporters that the move was intended to give US troops stationed in Turkey an opportunity to tour the new aircraft.

When asked whether there had been any other problem, Trump quickly replied, “No problem.”

Asked why journalists had been instructed to keep the window curtains closed, Trump said, “Because you’re probably on a dangerous flight.”

He added, “They didn’t tell me to close mine. If they told me, I would have closed mine too.”

Joking with the journalists, Trump said, “If I go, you go too, right? Maybe one day you’ll want to change professions.”

Security Concerns Had Already Surrounded New Aircraft

Trump’s aircraft switch had already been the subject of discussion over the past month, particularly regarding the security capabilities of the new aircraft gifted by Qatar.

Although Trump has repeatedly praised the aircraft, some US officials have reportedly expressed concerns about it. The plane was not originally built as Air Force One and requires extensive modifications to make it suitable for presidential use.

CNN had previously reported that Trump was unhappy with media reports questioning the security capabilities of the new aircraft.

The latest revelations could raise an even bigger question: why were journalists and staff travelling with the president unknowingly placed on a decoy aircraft, and what specific threat prompted such an unprecedented security operation?

White House Response

White House spokesperson Steven Cheung, responding to reports of the secret aircraft switch, said the new Qatar-gifted Air Force One is an advanced aircraft equipped with extensive security measures to protect the president and his staff.

“As the President recently said, many of America’s enemies are watching him,” Cheung said. “We are using every tool at our disposal to counter these threats.”

Following his visit to Turkey, Trump ultimately arrived at Joint Base Andrews in the United States. He stepped off Air Force One at 1:23am local time.

According to a note from the journalists travelling with the president, Trump quickly saluted after leaving the aircraft and then entered his heavily secured presidential vehicle, known as “The Beast.”