Iran knew Trump’s Ankara floor; missile threat forced secret plane switch

The Story in Brief

Iranian intelligence knew the exact floor of Donald Trump's hotel in Ankara during the NATO summit last month, US officials told The New York Times. That intelligence, combined with a credible surface-to-air missile threat against Air Force One, triggered an elaborate deception operation on July 8. Trump secretly left the presidential aircraft via a catering truck and boarded a smaller military C-32A jet, while Air Force One departed as a decoy carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and other senior officials. Passengers were told to keep window shades drawn. Trump later said he acted on Secret Service orders and that the aircraft he used may have been at greater risk.

US agencies intercepted multiple threat streams, including a sighting of a shoulder-fired missile near the summit venue. The older Air Force One used as a decoy possessed defensive systems that the newer Qatari-donated aircraft, which Trump had arrived on, allegedly lacked. The Washington Post first detailed the operation, which has drawn criticism for potentially endangering those on the decoy plane. Defenders argue that protecting the commander-in-chief justified extraordinary measures. The White House has not commented on the specific intelligence that prompted the switch.