Iran Plot Report Changed Trump’s Ankara Departure
A reported Iranian assassination plot prompted tighter security in Ankara and led Donald Trump to leave the NATO summit aboard the older Air Force One.
Reports of a possible Iranian plot to assassinate US President Donald Trump may have prompted tighter security measures during the NATO summit in Ankara. Israel’s Channel 12 claimed that Tehran viewed the American leader’s visit to Turkey as a rare opportunity to carry out an attack.
According to the broadcaster, the information emerged from intercepted communications transmitted through Iranian channels. The exchanges allegedly indicated that Trump’s presence in the Turkish capital was being considered as a potential opening for an assassination attempt.
Against this backdrop, the US side reportedly changed the president’s departure arrangements. Trump left the summit aboard the older Air Force One rather than the newer aircraft provided by Qatar. He also boarded before journalists reached the steps, departing from the usual procedure in which the press is present during the president’s arrival at the aircraft.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that officials in Washington had considered the Iranian threat exaggerated. However, amid renewed tensions in the Middle East, the intercepted information was reportedly treated as serious enough to justify switching aircraft. The newspaper also noted that the newer jet had fewer security systems than the older presidential plane.