President Donald Trump departed the NATO summit in Turkey using his older Air Force One aircraft, a switch made at the request of the U.S. Secret Service as a security precaution. The newly delivered, Qatari-gifted Boeing 747-8 jet, intended to be the new presidential aircraft, was sent ahead to Britain.
Trump stated on his social media platform, Truth Social, that the new jet would be sent to Mildenhall airbase for service members to tour. "For old time's sake, we'll be taking the former Air Force One, from Turkey," he added. However, the decision to bypass the new aircraft on its maiden foreign trip raised questions about its security features, particularly given recent U.S. strikes against Iran.
According to unnamed security sources cited by The New York Times, the new plane lacks certain capabilities of the older model, though the switch was not attributed to a specific threat. Reporters on board were instructed to keep window shades closed during takeoff without explanation.
Security Concerns and Iran Threats
Trump alluded to alleged past assassination attempts by Iran during a press conference at the NATO summit. "They [Iran] want to take out the US leader - me. I'm on every list," Trump declared, adding, "I'm on every single one of their lists, and so far I guess I've been a little bit lucky, but that maybe doesn't last very long, because that's the way it goes."
His remarks followed calls from hardline lawmakers in Tehran for missiles to be fired at his location. Mourners at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral reportedly placed a death bounty on Trump. Images circulated showing demonstrators holding posters with red crosshairs over Trump's face, bearing the warning, "Sooner or later, your heads will roll." Chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" were also reported.
These tensions escalated after Trump declared a ceasefire with Iran over and authorized new strikes following attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The desire to target Trump has been linked to his first term, particularly the 2020 drone strike that killed Revolutionary Guard general Qasem Soleimani.
US intelligence had reportedly warned during his 2024 campaign of Iranian plots to assassinate him and former administration officials in retaliation for Soleimani's death. Federal prosecutors have charged a Revolutionary Guard operative with a plot to murder Trump's former national security advisor John Bolton on American soil, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Iran envoy Brian Hook were placed under round-the-clock protection.
Trump later commented aboard the new Air Force One after leaving Turkey, telling a reporter, "you're probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags we have to deal with," an apparent reference to Iran. When asked about a credible threat, he reiterated, "I have a threat all the time. I'm number one on their list."
The new Boeing 747-8, a gift from Qatar's royal family, was acquired after Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the two aging presidential aircraft in service since 1990. The plane was rapidly retrofitted with security features before its initial flight with Trump on July 1, sporting a new red, white, and navy blue livery. Two additional Boeing Air Force One aircraft are expected later this decade, following previous delivery delays. The gifting of the aircraft, valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, by a foreign power had previously drawn criticism regarding ethical, constitutional, and security concerns.