US President Donald Trump secretly departed Turkey last month on a smaller plane than previously known due to an assassination threat from Iran, The Washington Post reported on Monday, August 11, 2026.

An anonymous US official told the Post that Trump initially boarded an Air Force One jet in Ankara on July 8, 2026, but then moved into a catering container attached to the plane. This container transported him to a smaller C-32A aircraft, which then flew him to Britain. Meanwhile, media and some officials were led to believe Trump remained on the larger jet.

The Iranian threat had earlier been cited by US media as the reason Trump did not fly out of Turkey aboard the new Boeing 747-8 gifted to the United States by Qatar, which he had used to arrive in the country. Trump, attending a NATO summit in Ankara, had stated he would take the older Boeing 747 so US military personnel at a British airbase could tour the new plane.

Several US media outlets, including The New York Times, reported that the switch was prompted by a threat from Iranian proxy forces.

Sources