Trump Switched Aircraft After Intelligence Warned of Iranian Plot, Report Says

U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly changed the aircraft he used to return home after attending the NATO summit in Türkiye earlier this month following credible intelligence indicating that Iran-backed militant groups were planning to target him in the air, The New York Times reported.

Citing multiple officials familiar with the matter, the newspaper said the specific threat emerged during the summit and prompted the U.S. Secret Service to strongly recommend that Trump abandon the Boeing 747-8 aircraft recently received as a gift from Qatar and instead fly back aboard the older, fully equipped Air Force One.

According to the report, the intelligence indicated that the militants' objective was not a particular aircraft but Trump himself, regardless of which plane he was traveling on.

The Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8 reportedly lacks several advanced defensive systems, including missile countermeasures, that are installed on the current Air Force One fleet.

At the summit, Trump acknowledged that he remained a target, telling reporters that Iran wanted to eliminate the leader of the United States and claiming his name appeared on Iranian "hit lists." Initially, however, he denied that security concerns had prompted the aircraft change, saying the decision was made to allow U.S. troops stationed in Britain to tour the new aircraft. The New York Times later reported that the switch was driven by security recommendations from the Secret Service.

The report also said details of the threat were closely held within the U.S. government. Many officials were informed only that the change was due to general security concerns related to Iran, while senior members of Congress were not fully briefed. The White House declined to comment publicly, although a senior administration official acknowledged Iran's longstanding efforts to target Trump and expressed confidence in the security measures protecting the president.

According to the report, Israel also shared intelligence with Washington regarding possible Iranian threats against Trump. However, U.S. officials reportedly viewed that information with caution, believing it may have been intended to encourage stronger U.S. military action against Iran. Officials stressed that the intelligence prompting the aircraft change was separate from the information provided by Israel.

The incident occurred as the United States launched fresh airstrikes against Iran while Trump was in Ankara. Following earlier reports about security shortcomings on the Qatari aircraft, the Justice Department opened a leak investigation, subpoenaing journalists' phone records before later withdrawing those legal demands amid criticism.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has since announced that the new aircraft will undergo additional security upgrades and will be taken out of service for about a month this fall. During that period, Trump will continue using the existing Air Force One.

U.S. intelligence agencies have long assessed that Iran and its proxy groups have sought opportunities to assassinate Trump, largely in retaliation for the 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.