The US intercepted several pieces of intelligence indicating Iran knew President Donald Trump’s exact location in Ankara during the Nato summit and that there was a potential threat involving a missile capable of targeting his aircraft, according to a New York Times report.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
Two US officials familiar with the intelligence told NYT that authorities detected a specific surface-to-air missile threat against whichever aircraft was carrying Trump. Someone near the Nato summit was also reportedly spotted with a shoulder-fired missile, while Iranian operatives were said to know which floor of Trump’s hotel he was staying on.
The intelligence was considered serious enough to trigger an elaborate security deception. Trump publicly boarded the older Air Force One, but was then secretly moved out of the airport inside a catering container and transferred to a military aircraft that flew him out of Turkey.
The original Air Force One, meanwhile, departed with senior US officials, government employees, journalists and military personnel aboard, apparently serving as a decoy. The passengers were reportedly not informed of the full extent of the threat.
The New York Times reported that the operation may have shifted the risk from Trump to those who remained aboard the presidential aircraft. Among them were secretary of state Marco Rubio, treasury secretary Scott Bessent and senior White House aides Stephen Miller and Steven Cheung.
The passengers were instructed to keep the plane’s window shades closed during its July 8 flight from Ankara to Britain. Trump later secretly rejoined Air Force One before disembarking in front of cameras, creating the appearance that he had travelled on the aircraft throughout.
The unusual manoeuvre has drawn criticism from some former White House officials, who argued that people aboard the decoy aircraft should have been protected or informed. Others defended the decision, saying protecting the president could justify extraordinary measures during a credible threat.
The White House did not respond to questions about the operation. Trump later said he had followed Secret Service advice and rejected the suggestion that the passengers had been placed at greater risk, arguing that the aircraft he travelled on may actually have been the more likely target.
