President Trump confirmed he switched aircraft on his return from Turkey because the Secret Service and military ordered the move over a security threat. 'I just have to do what they say,' Trump told reporters, confirming earlier reporting that Air Force One departed Turkey without him as part of a decoy operation.
President Trump this morning (Wednesday) explicitly confirmed that the decoy operation during his departure from Turkey was carried out on Secret Service and military orders. 'They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane … I just have to do what they say,' Trump told reporters, lending presidential weight to the account that Air Force One left Turkey without him while he was secretly transferred to a military aircraft.
The development follows a thread that began Tuesday evening (Aug 11, 20:25 Jerusalem) when The Wall Street Journal, citing Israeli intelligence sources, reported that Israel warned the U.S. of an Iranian plot to use shoulder-fired missiles against Air Force One during Trump's visit to Turkey. Israeli media outlets — Channel 14, ynet, and N12 — quickly corroborated the report, with Channel 14 adding that Trump was evacuated by truck to an alternative aircraft. The White House had previously confirmed a credible Iranian threat on July 25. Trump himself initially acknowledged switching planes yesterday evening (Aug 11, 20:25), saying he followed security advice but did not detail the decoy. This morning's remarks are the first explicit confirmation of the operational ruse.
As The Zioneer reported on Tuesday, the incident unfolds against a backdrop of escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, including the president's recent announcement of a covert mission securing the Strait of Hormuz and his signals of expanded strikes on Iranian infrastructure. Trump has also warned Iran will be 'bombed' if it acts against U.S. interests.
The precise nature of the threat that triggered the emergency protocol remains undisclosed beyond the president's general references. Trump said he 'didn't really ask too much' about the specifics. It also remains unclear whether the Qatari-donated interim Air Force One, which Trump pledged last month to ground for missile defense upgrades, will be affected by the new security assessments.
6 developments
- StrongWhite House confirms Iranian missile threat forced Trump to switch planes on return from Turkey
- DevelopingReuters: credible shoulder-fired missile threat forced secret Trump plane switch in Turkey
- DevelopingTrump: Qatari Air Force One to be grounded in about a month for security upgrades
- DevelopingTrump leans toward approving F-35 sale to Turkey, praises Erdogan's help
Source and signal
- Open-source intake