Trump switches Air Force One after Iran-linked threat

President Trump changed aircraft before leaving Turkey earlier this month after U.S. officials identified a credible threat from Iran and allied proxy groups targeting him and Air Force One, according to reports by CBS News and The New York Times.

U.S. officials told CBS News that intelligence indicated a credible plot to fire a missile at the president’s plane. After receiving the information, the U.S. Secret Service moved quickly to a backup plan, and Trump departed the NATO summit on the older Air Force One jet rather than the newer Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar.

The New York Times first reported the threat from Iranian proxy forces. According to people who spoke anonymously to the Times, the threat emerged while Trump was attending the NATO summit in Turkey. Trump had arrived in Ankara aboard the Qatari-donated aircraft, which he has acknowledged does not have the same advanced defensive systems as the older Air Force One.

The Guardian, citing the Times report, said U.S. officials did not believe the Iranian proxy forces were specifically targeting the new Boeing 747-8. Instead, the intelligence suggested the threat was aimed at Trump himself and whichever aircraft he was using.

The Secret Service recommended that Trump change planes before departing, according to the Times account cited by The Guardian. Trump later said he would leave on the older Air Force One. At the time, he did not give a detailed explanation for the switch, saying he would use the legacy aircraft “for old time’s sake.” He also said both planes would make a previously unscheduled stop at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, a base used by U.S. troops, before returning to the United States.

The newly reported details help explain why the White House moved to swap aircraft and add to scrutiny over security concerns involving the Qatari-gifted jet, which Trump had pushed to have ready for use as quickly as possible. The Guardian reported that the White House was contacted for comment.

Trump’s Justice Department had previously subpoenaed New York Times reporters over their coverage of security risks involving the Qatari-gifted Air Force One replacement, The Guardian reported. The department has dropped those efforts for now.

Trump has previously spoken about threats from Iran against his life. He has said he left standing orders for the U.S. military to destroy Iran “at levels they’ve never seen before” if Tehran carries out longstanding threats to kill him.

The reports come as Trump is considering whether to escalate attacks on Iran in the ongoing conflict after a ceasefire deal recently broke down, according to The Guardian. Trump has vowed “major military punishment” for Tehran and its Houthi allies in Yemen, while leaving open the possibility of diplomacy.

“We are talking to them. I think they’re being serious. I think … they are being by far the most serious that we’ve seen them, but that doesn’t mean we get there,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday.

He added: “We’re locked and loaded. We’re ready to go.”