Iran Threat Prompted Trump Escape From Ankara Airport in Catering Truck, Report Says

President Donald Trump was secretly ferried away from Turkey after an Iranian assassination threat prompted an extraordinary operation at Ankara airport during his NATO summit trip, according to The Washington Post and other U.S. outlets.

“An Iranian assassination threat against President Donald Trump prompted an extraordinary operation”

The Washington Post

The Washington Post said Trump boarded the old Air Force One in view of television cameras, then was shuttled minutes later to an Air Force C-32A via an airport catering truck typically used to load meals and other supplies preflight.

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Rolling Stone reported that the operation took place amid an assassination threat from Iran and that Air Force One served as a “decoy” with media and some White House staff aboard.

Fox News described Trump walking up the stairs of the legacy blue-and-white Boeing 747, waving to news cameras, and then stepping out of view into an airport catering truck lifted to an exit door on the far side of the plane.

In the account, Trump later flew in secrecy aboard the smaller C-32A to RAF Mildenhall in England, while the decoy jet took off with reporters and White House staff who believed Trump was on board.

The Washington Post said the maneuver meant Trump’s actual location was concealed from the American public and many senior U.S. officials for hours, with journalists and some White House staff believing they were on the same plane as the president.

Rolling Stone reported that a media pool report said journalists and White House staff were instructed to close their window shades aboard the legacy jet, and it quoted Trump responding to reporters’ questions by saying, "because you’re probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleaze bags that we have to deal with."

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In the same Rolling Stone account, Trump added that he has a "threat all the time" against his life and told reporters, "But if I go, you go. Right?"

Fox News also quoted White House communications director Steven Cheung defending the Qatar-gifted aircraft, saying, "The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff."

The Washington Post reported that Cheung issued that statement after the White House was provided details of the operation and a list of questions by the paper.

The operation followed Trump’s use of the newer Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar for use as Air Force One, and The Washington Post said the newer aircraft was fielded by the Air Force in July but lacks some of the defensive countermeasures included in the legacy Air Force One.

“the newer Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar for use as Air Force One”

The Washington Post

Fox News reported that Trump arrived in Ankara on July 8 aboard the brand-new Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar, and it said intelligence officials identified a specific threat from Iran targeting the president's movements after U.S. military strikes on Iranian targets earlier in the summer.

The Washington Post said the deception operation was set in motion by a credible threat involving Iran and that the maneuver occurred a night after U.S. forces renewed military strikes on Iran at Trump’s direction following a breakdown of negotiations between Washington and Tehran to end their months-long war.

Masrawy said Trump boarded the recently refurbished presidential aircraft provided by Qatar en route to Ankara for the NATO summit, then unexpectedly boarded an older presidential plane upon leaving the country, and it described the camouflage operation as a response to a credible threat aimed at Trump.

The Washington Post reported that it remains unclear how widely the administration disclosed the operation weeks later, while the White House defended the Qatar-gifted jet’s safety and said it was equipped with high-security protocols.