US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he was secretly moved from Air Force One to a military aircraft after American security officials identified a potential threat linked to Iran during his departure from a NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye, last month.
Trump said on Tuesday that the decision was made by the US Secret Service and military authorities, and that he followed their instructions without seeking further details about the reported threat.
“They wanted me to go in a different flight, different plane,” Trump told reporters. “I just have to do what they say.”
The aircraft switch took place on July 8 after the NATO summit. According to US media reports, Trump was moved between aircraft using a catering truck at Ankara airport before boarding a military jet, while Air Force One continued to carry journalists and senior officials who were reportedly unaware that the president had already left.
Trump also said the aircraft he ultimately boarded may have faced greater danger because it was the plane security officials believed an attacker would be less likely to target.
“I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk,” he said, adding that the original aircraft was more likely to be targeted.
The White House did not publicly disclose the security operation at the time. Details emerged only this week after reports by US media, including The Washington Post and The New York Times, revealed that the president had not returned from Ankara aboard Air Force One as previously understood.
Asked about the reported Iranian threat, Trump said he receives numerous threats and suggested that security concerns are an expected part of the presidency.
“I have a lot of threats that you don't know about,” he said. “Any consequential presidents have a lot of threats. Non-consequential presidents don't get threatened. And I think that I may be the most consequential president.”
The disclosure has prompted questions in Washington over how the operation was handled and why Congress was not informed about the reported threat.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for an immediate briefing on the incident, saying Congress should have been informed about the security threat and the circumstances surrounding the president's departure.
Schumer also criticised the administration's handling of the wider Iran conflict, arguing that Congress and the public deserved greater transparency over decisions involving US military operations.
The unusual departure has also attracted attention in Iran, where state-linked and security-affiliated media reported extensively on the incident. Iran's official IRNA news agency described Trump's departure as an escape prompted by fear of Iran, while other outlets mocked the use of a catering vehicle in the operation.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, with the security concerns surrounding Trump's travel underscoring the wider risks associated with the continuing US-Iran confrontation.