- Iran's state media mocked U.S. President Trump over his secret aircraft switch during a visit to Turkey, saying it showed how nervous he is about Iran's power.
- U.S. officials were alarmed that Iranians knew where Trump was staying in Ankara, including the exact floor of his hotel.
- Trump and a small group of aides used a catering truck to switch to a smaller C-32A jet for the flight out of Turkey, while Air Force One departed separately.
- The Washington Post first reported details of the plane-switch operation.
- Iran's embassy in South Africa posted on X that Trump "will be hidden in a trash can before long", accompanied by a meme of Trump inside a catering box.
- In 2024, the U.S. Justice Department charged an Iranian man in connection with an alleged plot ordered by Iran's Revolutionary Guards to assassinate Trump.
- In 2022, federal prosecutors charged a member of the IRGC with plotting to kill Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton in retaliation for the death of Soleimani.
- While Trump was running for re-election in October 2024, the IRGC had to focus on surveilling, and ultimately, assassinating Trump and an Iranian dissident in New York, Masih Alinejad.
- Investigations into the 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, found that Iran played no role in that attempt, but Iranian officials were interested in assassinating Trump.
Iran's state media has mocked President Trump after reports surfaced about a secret plane switch during his visit to Turkey, prompted by a credible threat of a missile attack on Air Force One. The Secret Service initiated an extraordinary operation to protect the president, moving him to a smaller jet due to fears of an Iranian plot.12
The threat emerged on the final day of Trump's NATO summit visit, as U.S. officials were alarmed to learn that Iranians knew Trump's exact location in Ankara, including his hotel floor. This led to a covert operation where Trump and a small group of aides switched from the presidential aircraft to a nondescript C-32A jet, while Air Force One departed separately with other officials.3
A presenter on Iranian state television remarked, “Again, Trump, with his new scandal, has become the top subject in the U.S. media these days,” highlighting the humiliation stemming from the incident. The Iranian embassy in South Africa even joked that Trump “will be hidden in a trash can before long,” accompanied by a meme of him in a catering box.67
Trump himself acknowledged the threats, stating, “I’m on every list. I saw a thing this morning, I’m on every single one of their lists.” The Secret Service is currently investigating a record number of threats against the president, with a senior official noting, “Threat environment is the highest we have seen.”
This incident underscores the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran, particularly in light of past assassination plots involving Iranian operatives targeting Trump and his associates.
“The Secret Service deployed anti-aircraft and anti-drone systems near Trump's homes in Bedminster and West Palm Beach, a first for his second term. Officials examined 10,000 threat cases, 40% more than last year, as the threat environment reached its highest level.”
MS NOW
