The New York Times reports that pro-Iranian elements planned to harm President Trump, with the threat discovered while he was attending the NATO summit in Ankara. US officials said there was no indication that proxies focused on the Qatari plane, but that Trump himself was the target, leading him to depart on the older Air Force One.
The New York Times reports that a threat against President Donald Trump was discovered while he was attending the NATO summit in Ankara, leading him to depart on the older Air Force One. According to the report, pro-Iranian elements planned to harm Trump, with US officials stating that there was no indication the proxies focused on the new Qatari-donated aircraft, but that Trump himself was the target. The threat was identified during the summit, prompting security to move Trump to the older, more secure plane.
In a series of updates beginning at 00:18 Jerusalem on Saturday, The Zioneer reported that a credible threat from Iranian proxies prompted Trump to switch aircraft on his return from Ankara. The bulletin later clarified that the intelligence pointed to a direct threat from Iran, not just proxies, and that the plot involved shooting down the plane, with the new Qatari plane lacking missile defense systems. The latest NYT report adds that the threat was discovered during the summit itself and that the president was the specific target.
As The Zioneer reported on July 20, the Qatari-donated Air Force One was scheduled for a month-long security upgrade including missile defenses. The incident underscores the persistent security challenges amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.
It remains unclear whether the threat was interdicted or if any arrests were made. The NYT report did not specify the exact nature of the plot or the intelligence behind it.
4 developments
- DevelopingNATO fears Ankara summit may be disrupted by tensions with Trump administration, report says
- DevelopingFormer Mossad official warns of assassination threat against Trump at NATO summit in Ankara
- DevelopingWSJ: Trump received Israeli intelligence on Iran assassination plot during Turkey visit
- DevelopingReport: Trump tells Erdogan he's coming to NATO summit in July just for him
Source and signal
- Open-source intake