A report indicated that the US president secretly changed aircraft while departing a NATO summit because of an Iranian assassination threat.
According to a report by The Washington Post on Monday, US President Donald Trump secretly left Turkey last month using a smaller aircraft than previously disclosed, as a result of an assassination threat from Iran.
As reported by an unidentified US official who communicated with the Post, Trump arrived on an Air Force One aircraft in Ankara on July 8, but later relocated to a food service compartment connected to the plane.
The container subsequently transported him to a smaller C-32A plane that took him to Britain, while the media and certain officials were made to think that Trump was still aboard the larger aircraft.
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The danger posed by Iran was earlier mentioned by American media as the cause for Trump not traveling from Turkey on the new Boeing 747-8, which had been given to the U.S. by Qatar, a plane he had previously used to enter the country.
Trump, who was in Ankara for a NATO meeting, mentioned at that time that he would be using the older Boeing 747 so that personnel from the US military stationed at a base in Britain could view the new aircraft.
Nevertheless, a number of American media organizations, such as The New York Times, stated that a warning from Iranian affiliated groups led to the change.
Reporters aboard the previous flight from Ankara were also instructed to keep their window shades closed — a measure typically used in war zones — heightening concerns about security issues.
The aircraft exchange led to renewed examination of the Qatar-provided jet, which the Times noted lacked the same security measures as the older plane, such as anti-missile systems.
The royal family of Qatar gave away the luxurious airplane last year following Trump’s complaints regarding the condition of the two old Boeing 747 aircraft that had been used as Air Force One since 1990.
The aircraft was quickly modified and took Trump on its initial flight on July 1, heading to North Dakota.
Shortly after, he embarked on its first international journey to Turkey.
When asked about the Post article, the White House released a statement supporting the safety of the new aircraft.
“The latest Air Force One is a cutting-edge plane equipped with advanced security measures designed to protect the President and his team,” communications director Steven Cheung stated in the announcement.
Recently, the President mentioned that there are numerous adversaries of America who are targeting him, and we employ all available resources to deal with these dangers.
The same declaration was made by the White House last month when concerns regarding the aircraft’s safety initially arose.
A video featured in the Post’s report depicts a catering truck descending from the older Air Force One aircraft, moments after Trump ascended the stairs into the plane.
The food service truck can subsequently be observed moving in the background towards the smaller C-32A plane.
Following the arrival of both aircraft in the United Kingdom, Trump was captured on video descending from the larger plane, then proceeding to the newly updated Air Force One.
It remained uncertain how he had returned to the broader dimension, the Post reported.
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This piece was first published in the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), a top news outlet covering China and Asia.
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