Trump Switched Planes Over Alleged Iran Plot That US Doubts
President Trump was moved off his usual aircraft during a visit to Turkey after Israeli intelligence warned of an alleged Iranian plot to shoot it down, reports said. But United States and Turkish officials cast doubt on the warning, with some suspecting Israel had inflated the threat to derail US-Iran diplomacy. Mr Trump confirmed the switch but attributed it to routine security protocol.
The episode, in which Mr Trump was reportedly moved via an airport vehicle, underlines how fraught the confrontation with Iran has become and how tangled the intelligence around it is. That American and Turkish officials openly questioned the Israeli warning — rather than endorsing it — is striking, and points to friction between Washington and an ally over how to handle Tehran. Mr Trump, who has claimed the United States now has “total control” of the Strait of Hormuz, played down any drama, framing the aircraft change as precautionary. With the strait still shut and talks stalled, each such incident risks inflaming an already volatile standoff. Watch whether more detail emerges on the alleged plot or it fades as unverified.