As part of a complex ploy to counter a potential Iranian threat, Donald Trump covertly switched planes as he departed a NATO conference in Turkey last month, according to US media. According to the Washington Post, the US president boarded Air Force One in front of media cameras before being driven by a food truck to a military aircraft. Some White House employes and journalists on board were unaware that he had been sneaked out.
The US had identified a credible Iranian threat to launch a missile against the aircraft, officials informed CBS News, the BBC’s US partner. The covert swap has not been verified by the White House. At the talks in Ankara, Trump had already declared himself Iran’s “number one target.” The covert move was made the day after Washington and Tehran failed to reach an agreement to end the conflict, prompting the US to resume military operations against Iran. Trump declared he would depart on the ancient Air Force One “for old time’s sake” after arriving in Turkey on a more recent Boeing 747-8 that Qatar had donated. He was seen boarding the presidential aircraft at the airport in Ankara on July 8.
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