Israeli intelligence prompted secret evacuation of Trump from Air Force One in Turkey - report
US officials reportedly acted on an Israeli warning of an Iranian plot to target the presidential aircraft with portable surface-to-air missiles, prompting a covert change to Trump’s departure plans
Information provided by Israel to the United States was reportedly behind an extraordinary decision last month by the US Secret Service to discreetly evacuate Trump from Air Force One before his departure from Turkey, according to an American official cited by The Wall Street Journal.
According to the newspaper, Israeli intelligence services alerted Washington to an Iranian plot to shoot down the presidential aircraft using portable surface-to-air missiles.
In response to the threat, Trump was reportedly discreetly removed from Air Force One and transported in a catering truck to a military aircraft, allowing him to leave the country without following the planned departure route.
Several senior Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reportedly remained aboard Air Force One despite the security alert, according to the same source.
The Wall Street Journal had already reported last month that Israel had warned the United States about a new Iranian plan to assassinate Trump, although it did not provide details about the nature of the threat at the time.
However, two American officials told N12 that the intelligence primarily concerned general discussions among Iranian officials about a possible assassination attempt, rather than a clearly identified operational plot.