Trump secretly swaps aircraft after Iran threat

Catering truck parked alongside the old Air Force One jet prior to departure from Ankara
Catering trucks are seen parked alongside the old Air Force One jet prior to its departure from Ankara.

Donald Trump secretly swapped planes as he left the NATO summit in Ankara, allegedly to avoid a potential Iranian missile strike.

According to a Washington Post report, the president boarded Air Force One in view of cameras before being covertly taken onto an elevated catering truck and transferred to a military C‑32A aircraft. Journalists and some White House staff were unaware of the move, having been told to close their window shades.

The story emerged after the US re‑initiated military strikes on Iran following stalled talks. Trump had earlier called the Iranian threat “number one” at the summit.

The C‑32A, a modified Boeing 757 typically used by the Vice President, carried Trump to the UK, where he re‑boarded the legacy Air Force One at RAF Mildenhall before returning to Washington on the Qatar‑donated Boeing 747‑8.

White House officials declined to confirm the swap, though they noted the new jet is “state‑of‑the‑art” and will get further upgrades. The former president later spoke about the Iranian threat on the flight from the UK, at a time when several journalists were subpoenaed over related Air Force One reporting.