Iranian Proxy Threatens 'Air Force One' Security, Trump Swaps Planes During NATO Summit

BlockBeats News, July 25th, according to The New York Times report, multiple sources familiar with the matter revealed that during the NATO summit this month, the U.S. Secret Service recommended that President Trump change planes when leaving Turkey due to concerns that Iranian-backed forces might target Trump and his plane.

The report stated that when Trump arrived in Ankara, Turkey, he was flying on a new Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar, which did not have the same level of advanced defense systems as the traditional "Air Force One." After the U.S. government discovered the related threat, the Secret Service advised Trump to switch to the old version of Air Force One for departure.

Sources said the threat was not specifically aimed at the Qatar-donated plane but at Trump himself and any plane he was on.

Prior to this, Trump had stated that the plane switch was to allow U.S. troops stationed in the UK to see the new plane and denied any security concerns. However, The New York Times reported that the decision to change planes was actually related to a security assessment.

The report pointed out that the Qatar-donated Boeing 747-8 is still planned to undergo upgrades in the future to enhance the security capabilities required for the presidential aircraft. The White House stated that the plane is "fully capable of ensuring the president's travel security" and will undergo an additional month-long upgrade this fall.

Against the backdrop of the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, the report stated that U.S. officials had previously received intelligence about possible Iranian plots against Trump, and the U.S. remains highly vigilant about the security threat level to the president.