Washington, Aug 12 (V7N)- US President Donald Trump has revealed that he secretly switched aircraft while returning to the United States from Turkey last month after security officials warned of a possible Iranian attack.
Trump made the disclosure while speaking to reporters on Tuesday (August 11). He said the Secret Service and military instructed him to leave his scheduled aircraft and board another military plane after departing Ankara following the NATO summit.
“I follow the instructions of the Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to take a different flight, a different plane. I have to listen to them,” Trump said.
Earlier, a report published on July 8 said Trump was initially seen boarding Air Force One in front of television cameras. He was later secretly transferred to another military aircraft using a catering truck.
The incident raised questions about whether the apparent use of Air Force One as a decoy to prevent a potential attack had placed journalists and other passengers at risk.
Trump, however, said the military aircraft he eventually boarded was actually at “a much greater risk.”
According to US officials cited by CBS News, Washington had identified a highly credible threat of an Iranian missile attack against the aircraft carrying Trump.
The operation was kept highly confidential for security reasons. Even journalists traveling with Trump and some White House officials were reportedly unaware that the president was being secretly moved to another aircraft because of fears of a possible Iranian attack.
While attending the NATO summit in Turkey, Trump had claimed that he was Iran's “number one target.”
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday while traveling to an event in Ohio, Trump said he believed there had been some kind of threat, although he had not looked into the details extensively.
Trump added that he faces numerous threats that the general public does not know about.
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