President Donald Trump was secretly moved from Turkey on a separate Air Force jet due to intelligence suggesting an Iranian terror cell had infiltrated the country with a shoulder-fired missile, a senior administration official with direct knowledge stated. The decision to divert Trump from his scheduled departure occurred approximately four to five hours before he was due to leave Ankara following a NATO summit.
According to the official, intelligence also indicated that the Iranian cell possessed information regarding Trump's itinerary in Ankara. The elaborate maneuver, designed to conceal the president's movements, involved Trump transferring from the usual Air Force One to a military aircraft via a catering container. This ruse was executed without the knowledge of the press corps traveling with him or even some White House officials on the decoy flight.
The Washington Post was the first to report on the operation to extract Trump from Turkey secretly. A small number of individuals on the original Air Force One were aware of the plan, the official confirmed. Sources familiar with the matter indicated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were aboard the decoy aircraft, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled with the president on the military plane. All three Cabinet members were briefed on the security threat and Trump's change in transportation.
Trump himself commented on the incident, stating that the secret flight was orchestrated by the Secret Service and the U.S. military. Standard protocol for presidential flights includes an escort by F-35 fighter jets, which accompanied both Trump's military plane and the decoy Air Force One. The unusual dual escort for a non-presidential aircraft underscored the heightened security concerns.
Previously, Trump had announced he would be flying on the older Air Force One, stating it was being sent to a base in the United Kingdom for service members to tour. However, ABC News had reported at the time that Trump was advised against taking that specific aircraft due to security concerns amid escalating tensions with Iran. During the flight of the decoy plane, reporters were instructed by the Secret Service to keep the windows closed for the entire duration. Furthermore, Air Force One's transponder was reportedly turned off, even though the president was not aboard.
In response to The Washington Post's reporting, the White House issued a statement: "As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats." The senior administration official noted that the president reportedly "loved" the subterfuge involved in the secret departure.