CIA Had 'Low Confidence' in Iranian Threat Before Trump's Secret Plane Switch in Turkey
US intelligence officials were skeptical of an Iranian assassination threat against President Trump that was relayed by Israel, even though it prompted an extraordinary secret aircraft swap in Turkey during a NATO summit. Trump was secretly moved via a catering truck to an alternate military plane while reporters and staff remained on the original aircraft.
What Happened
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 Washington Post reported that due to an alleged Iranian threat to assassinate President Trump, he secretly swapped planes before departing the July NATO summit in Turkey — leaving senior administration officials, staff and members of the press corps on board.
Last month's elaborate ruse that saw President Trump secretly move from Air Force One to another plane by way of a catering truck took place within a day of U.S. and Turkish intelligence picking up on an Iranian plot to fire a missile at the presidential jet. A catering truck can be seen backing away from the plane and driving off to a U.S. Air Force-operated C-32A jet.
The Intelligence Gap
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. One US official described the reports as "Israeli-derived, not US-generated, and viewed as low confidence."
Context & Implications
The National Security Council, the White House Military Office and the Secret Service made the decision to change planes. Trump has called himself "number one on the kill list for Iran" in a news conference shortly before leaving Ankara. The CIA had low confidence in the Israeli tip, which leaves the Secret Service in a tough spot of assessing what to do in its zero-fail mission to keep the president safe.
What to Watch Next
The incident raises questions about intelligence sharing between US and Israeli agencies, the balance between presidential security and transparency, and whether reporters and officials should have been informed of credible threats before boarding the aircraft.