Trump says he switched planes after Nato summit because of possible threat

What the report says

President Donald Trump said he changed aircraft after a Nato summit in Turkey because the Secret Service and military believed a possible threat required him to travel on a different plane. In remarks cited by BBC World News, Trump said he followed their instructions and later suggested the substitute aircraft was at greater risk.

The BBC reported that the switch happened after Trump appeared to board Air Force One publicly on 8 July, then was moved out of view and transferred to a military aircraft using a catering truck. According to the report, journalists and some White House staff remained on the first plane and were not told the president had already left. The article said the operation was intended to respond to a credible threat, with CBS News citing officials who said the US had detected a possible Iranian missile threat against the plane.

The episode has drawn attention because it raises questions about presidential security and the handling of those on the decoy flight. BBC World News noted that Trump has previously described himself as a top Iranian target during the summit. The report also placed the incident in the wider context of rising tensions between Washington and Tehran after renewed US strikes on Iran and stalled diplomatic talks.