Trump Secretly Flew Out of Turkey in Catering Container Amid Iran Threat

President Donald Trump was secretly moved off Air Force One in Ankara last month via an airport catering truck and flown out of Turkey on a smaller military jet, amid a credible Iranian assassination threat, according to new reporting.

What happened

An Iranian assassination threat against President Donald Trump prompted an extraordinary operation last month in which he flew secretly from Turkey on an alternate military aircraft while the White House said he was aboard Air Force One, The Washington Post has learned.

The older Air Force One served as a decoy while Trump was smuggled onto a smaller plane inside an airport catering container on July 8, when Trump was in Ankara for a NATO summit.

The decoy setup

Trump had flown into Turkey aboard a new Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar, the plane’s first international trip, but publicly announced on Truth Social that he would use an older, baby blue Air Force One “for old time’s sake” to fly to RAF Mildenhall in Britain. Television cameras captured Trump boarding the older Air Force One on the tarmac.

Minutes later, a U.S. official told the Post, the president was secretly moved via an airport catering truck, the kind normally used to load meals, to a smaller Air Force C-32A aircraft.

Why the switch

The operation reportedly took place a night after Trump directed U.S. military strikes on Iran after failed negotiations between Washington and Tehran to end the war.

In July, the Times reported the jet appeared to lack proper security measures and harbored vulnerabilities. ABC News reported at the time that the Secret Service urged Trump to leave Turkey on the old Air Force One due to escalations with Iran, which borders Turkey.

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White House response

White House Communications Director Steve Cheung defended the new aircraft in a statement. “The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff.

The president replied that it was “because you’re probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags that we have to deal with,” adding that he has a “threat all the time” against his life. “But if I go, you go. Right?” he said to the journalists.

Options market and stocks to watch

Geopolitical risk headlines involving Iran and U.S. leadership often ripple through defense, energy, and travel names. Traders may want to watch:

• BA — Boeing makes the 747-8 and C-32A airframes at the center of the story; watch for headline sensitivity tied to Air Force One and the Qatar-donated jet.
• LMT — Lockheed Martin as a defense proxy on any escalation with Iran.
• RTX — RTX on missile defense and munitions exposure if tensions climb.
• XOM — Watch energy names for any Middle East risk premium bleeding into crude.
• USO — Crude oil ETF as a quick read on how markets price Iran-related risk.

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