Now Reading: Trump secretly switched planes in Turkey over Iran missile threat
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Trump secretly switched planes in Turkey over Iran missile threat
Trump secretly switched planes in Turkey over Iran missile threat
US President Donald Trump secretly flew out of the NATO summit in Ankara last month on a smaller military aircraft while Air Force One took off as a decoy, multiple US reports…
The Story in Brief
US President Donald Trump secretly flew out of the NATO summit in Ankara last month on a smaller military aircraft while Air Force One took off as a decoy, multiple US reports say. The Washington Post reported that an Iranian assassination threat, including a possible shoulder-fired missile strike, prompted the extraordinary operation. Trump confirmed the switch on Tuesday, saying he followed Secret Service orders. He downplayed the risk, telling reporters he gets "a lot of threats."
The New York Times reported that US intelligence intercepted information showing Iranian operatives knew Trump’s exact hotel floor in Ankara and that someone near the summit site had been seen carrying a shoulder-fired missile. Journalists and senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, were on the decoy plane unaware. The White House has not directly acknowledged the operation, with communications director Steven Cheung saying "we use every tool at our disposal."
The Indian Opinion
The narrative that this was a daring, unprecedented deception to protect the president is one-sided. It also exposed journalists and officials to potential attack without their knowledge. Trump's casual comment, "If I go, you go", rings hollow when he was not on board. The real test will be what Congress learns in the promised briefings: was the threat truly imminent, or was this an overreaction that compromised the press pool's safety?
Sources (5): thehindu.com, timesnownews.com, thefederal.com, thehindu.com (2), livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 5 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 5 sources.
