Photo credit, Getty Images
Donald Trump secretly left Turkey after the NATO summit as part of an operation unknown even to some White House staff and accompanying journalists.
The reason was a threat of assassination by Iran, the Washington Post has learned.
The President Boarded the Plane – and Disappeared
Initially, everything seemed quite normal.
In Ankara, Trump boarded the presidential Air Force One in front of cameras, waved to journalists, and was supposed to continue his journey.
But this was only part of a meticulously planned operation.
As the Washington Post reports, a few minutes after boarding, Trump, along with several aides, exited the aircraft through a different door. A regular service van, used for delivering food and other supplies, was employed for this purpose.
Using a hydraulic lift, the van was raised to the level of the aircraft’s fuselage, ensuring that no one could see the president disembarking. It then transported Trump to a small military aircraft, a C-32A.
What was particularly unusual was that Air Force One continued to serve as a decoy aircraft.
Journalists and White House staff remained on board. Some of them were convinced that the president was flying with them.
The “Decoy Plane” and Trump’s Real Route
The deception continued after departure from Turkey.
Journalists aboard Air Force One were instructed to close their window shades.
Meanwhile, the plane carrying Trump, the C-32A, flew under the inconspicuous call sign Reach 18, and its route was not displayed on standard flight tracking systems.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also boarded the C-32A and traveled with Trump to Great Britain.
Concurrently, the presidential Air Force One continued its planned journey. It even retained its official presidential call sign, AF1, despite Trump no longer being on board.
Upon arrival in Britain, Trump reappeared before cameras, descending the stairs from Air Force One.
The Washington Post was unable to precisely ascertain how the president transferred back to the official presidential aircraft from the C-32A.
The result was an almost Hollywood-esque scenario: the president publicly boards one aircraft, secretly disembarks minutes later, disappears into a food service van, and departs on a different military aircraft.
All the while, journalists remained under the impression that they were on board the decoy plane.
Why Trump Had to Be Hidden
According to the Washington Post, American intelligence received information about a potential Iranian attack on Donald Trump or his aircraft.
It was after this that the operation to conceal the president’s true route was initiated.
This was revealed to the publication by an American official familiar with the operation and another individual knowledgeable about presidential travel.
Both spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Photo credit, Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Photo caption, A regular food van was part of the secret plan to extract Trump from Turkey. Pictured here, it’s near the presidential plane at Ankara airport on July 8, 2026.
The threat emerged amidst the US war with Iran. Trump was in Turkey for the NATO summit when US forces, under his orders, resumed strikes against Iran following the breakdown of negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
For the president’s security, Turkey holds particular significance: it is a NATO ally of the US and a country bordering Iran.
The New York Times and CBS News had previously reported last month that US intelligence agencies had received information about a potential attack on Trump or his aircraft.
It was this intelligence that prompted the heightened security measures.
What the White House Says
The Trump administration did not disclose details of the covert operation. However, the White House confirmed that threats against the president do exist.
White House Communications Director Stephen Chun stated that the new Air Force One, a gift from Qatar to the US, is equipped with all necessary protective systems.
“This is a modern aircraft with a high level of protection, ensuring the safety of the president and his team,” he said.
According to Chun, the US has “many enemies” who wish to harm Trump. Therefore, the authorities are utilizing “all available means” to safeguard the president.
Meanwhile, the New York Times had previously reported that the Boeing 747-8, gifted by Qatar, lacked certain protective systems found in older US presidential aircraft. Following this publication, the Trump administration attempted to identify the source of the journalists’ information but subsequently abandoned the effort.
The Washington Post notes that presidential aircraft have been used as decoys in the past when the head of state faced danger. However, this instance was particularly elaborate: journalists and some White House staff were convinced for several hours that Trump was on board Air Force One.
Upon arriving in Britain, Trump himself addressed the threat from Iran. He mentioned that threats to his life are constant and claimed to be number one on the “Iranian list.”
Trump Seeks an Exit from the War
Against this backdrop, American media report that Trump himself is seeking a way to end the war with Iran.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the president was prepared to conclude the conflict even without a new nuclear deal, provided Tehran fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iran, in response, demanded billions of dollars in reparations, the withdrawal of US troops from the region, and the lifting of the maritime blockade.
“Iran’s recent stringent demands for the reopening of the strait are making it increasingly difficult for the president to find an exit from the conflict that would allow him to save face,” said Mona Yacoubian, Director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Previously, CNN also reported that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Kaine, had privately urged the Trump administration to seek a means to end the war.
According to the channel’s sources, he fears that further military escalation could yield an adverse outcome.
Kaine discussed his concerns with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President Jay D. Vance.