In an unusual covert operation, US President Donald Trump, who visited Turkey last month for a NATO summit, reportedly left the country on a secret military flight after boarding via an airport catering vehicle, even as the White House stated he was on Air Force One. The Washington Post disclosed the details on Monday, noting the move followed an assassination threat from Iran amid renewed tensions between the two nations after an interim ceasefire in June. Sources told the newspaper that the plan was kept secret and unknown even to some White House staff and journalists who thought they were traveling with the president. In Ankara, Trump was seen boarding the older Air Force One in front of cameras. Soon after, he was moved to a smaller Air Force C-32A using a catering truck normally employed for loading supplies. The vehicle was lifted to the aircraft door on the side away from the main entrance to avoid detection. Air Force One then served as a decoy carrying only media and some staff. Footage showed stairs on one side of the jet and the catering truck on the other. Minutes later, as reporters boarded, a suited figure entered the truck, which then drove to the nearby C-32A. It remained unclear how the president transferred back to Air Force One after landing, though he appeared on camera exiting the jet around 10:56 pm. On July 8, officials said Trump had departed on the former Air Force One. He had announced on social media he would use that aircraft rather than a newer plane gifted by Qatar. A similar decoy tactic was used in 2000 when President Bill Clinton flew into Pakistan on an unmarked jet. Last month, during the funeral of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calls for Trump’s killing reportedly increased. Trump responded with a warning that missiles were ready and the US military prepared to strike Iran if any attempt on his life succeeded.
