Iranian MANPADS Threat Forced Trump to Switch Planes Leaving Turkey
More detailed information has emerged about why US President Donald Trump switched planes when leaving Turkey last month. According to a source familiar with the matter, the threat that the presidential aircraft Air Force One could become a target of Iranian shoulder-fired missiles prompted the US Secret Service to quietly move Trump to a smaller aircraft.
Shoulder-fired missiles, known as MANPADS (Man-Portable Air Defense Systems), are lightweight missile systems that can be carried and fired by a single soldier to destroy a target.
The threat emerged on the final day of Trump’s visit to Ankara, Turkey, where he was attending a NATO summit amid rising tensions with Iran, the source said, as reported by Reuters on Thursday (13/8/2026). The Secret Service considered the threat credible and imminent, prompting an extraordinary operation to conceal Trump’s movements.
The source declined to say where the intelligence came from. However, he said officials had little time to prepare and drew up the plan at the last minute.
The source said Trump and several aides used a catering truck to discreetly move them from the presidential aircraft Air Force One to a smaller, less conspicuous C-32A military aircraft to leave Turkey on 8 July. Air Force One departed separately carrying senior administration officials, White House staff, and the press corps, according to the source.
Trump commented on reports that emerged about his secret flight when leaving Turkey. He said the operation was carried out on the instructions of the US Secret Service. However, Trump said the military aircraft he used was actually far riskier than Air Force One.
“In my opinion, the plane I was on actually posed a greater risk. I think the risk was greater because that plane was the one they were most likely to target,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday (11/8).
Reports of him switching planes using a catering truck sparked various memes on social media. Trump responded by saying he was simply following the instructions of the Secret Service, which is tasked with protecting the US President.
“Yes, it was entirely the Secret Service’s decision. I just followed what they wanted to do, so I followed the instructions of the Secret Service and the military,” he said.
“It seems there was indeed a threat. I didn’t ask too many questions about it. I often receive many threats,” the US President said.