CIA had ‘low confidence’ in Iran threat before Trump’s Turkey aircraft switch

Washington DC : US intelligence officials had low confidence in an Iranian threat against US President Donald Trump before he was secretly moved to an alternate aircraft while departing Turkey after the NATO Summit last month, according to a report by The Washington Post. The alleged assassination threat was reportedly relayed to the CIA by Israel, but agency analysts did not consider the intelligence compelling and communicated their reservations to officials in the Trump administration, The Washington Post reported.
One US official described the reports as “Israeli-derived, not US-generated, and viewed as low confidence,” according to The Washington Post.
Despite the doubts over the credibility of the intelligence, the US Secret Service proceeded with an elaborate security operation during Trump’s departure from the NATO summit in Ankara on July 8.
According to The Washington Post report, Trump initially boarded a legacy Air Force One aircraft before secretly being moved to an Air Force C-32A.
He was transported to the third aircraft in an airport catering truck and then flown with a small group of aides to Britain.
The operation was prompted by concerns over Trump’s security as he left Turkey, including questions over whether the newer Boeing 747-8 aircraft gifted to the US by Qatar had sufficient security measures for the mission.
“As the President has said, he has faced numerous threats on his life, including ones from Iran, and every measure is taken to ensure his safety,” a US official said in a statement cited by the Post.
“The United States Secret Service’s core mission is protecting the President, which they achieved,” it added.
Despite the intelligence concerns, one US official said the Secret Service opted to take no chances, citing previous security incidents involving Trump.
“The Secret Service has had three near misses with this president, so they’re not taking any chances,” the official said, as quoted by The Washington Post.
“They did what they had to do,” it added.
Concerns over possible Iranian attempts to target Trump and other senior US officials have persisted since the 2020 US killing of Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force. The concerns reportedly intensified after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials at the beginning of the Iran war in February.
Trump has survived three known assassination plots since his 2024 presidential campaign, although there is no known link between those suspects and Iran, according to The Post.
The aircraft carrying Trump from Ankara to Britain’s Mildenhall air base was escorted by F-16 fighter jets, according to US officials and material reviewed by The Post.
Trump later said the decision to use a different aircraft was made by the Secret Service.
“It’s really just up to Secret Service. I just follow what they like to do,” Trump told reporters.
“They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane, equal safety. … I do what they say,” he added.
According to the Post, some US intelligence officials believed Israel’s sharing of the warning may have been intended not only to alert Washington but also to influence Trump’s decision-making and US policy in the region.
A former US official familiar with the matter said the intelligence “fits a broader pattern of Israeli intelligence reporting that some officials see as designed as much to shape presidential decision-making as to inform it,” Thxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxe Washington Post stated.
It also reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was briefed on the Israeli intelligence and the Secret Service’s planned operation.