There’s a risk that Trump’s Air Force One could be assassinated! The New York Times reveals Iran’s plot to launch missiles

The New York Times, citing multiple insiders, reported that while U.S. President Trump attended the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey this month, U.S. authorities detected indications that Iran and its proxy forces might launch missiles toward the president’s plane. The Secret Service therefore advised him to switch to the older Air Force One when he left Ankara. The Qatar-donated $400 million Boeing 747-8 has not yet been fitted with anti-missile defense systems that match the older aircraft. Trump previously said the reason for switching planes was to let the U.S. and U.K. military stationed there tour the new plane, and that it had nothing to do with security.
（Background recap: Trump warned Iran: If the Houthis commit another offense, they will face “significant military punishment”!）
（Background addition: The U.S. carried out 13 consecutive nights of airstrikes on Iran; Brent crude broke above $100; Bitcoin was pushed back by $64k）

Key summary

• NYT reveals Iran’s proxy forces were planning to fire missiles at Trump’s plane; the Secret Service advised him to switch aircraft when leaving Ankara
• The $400 million Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar has not yet been fitted with an anti-missile defense system at the level of the older Air Force One
• The White House says the new presidential aircraft is “completely safe,” but this autumn it will still go into the workshop for an upgrade lasting about a month

Trump said that changing planes in Turkey was so that U.S. and U.K. forces based there could tour the new Air Force One, with nothing to do with security. The New York Times’ account differs. Multiple insiders told the newspaper that at the time, the U.S. detected a credible scheme by Iran and its allied proxy forces to launch missiles at the presidential aircraft. The Secret Service therefore advised Trump to switch planes before leaving Ankara.

The incident occurred during the NATO Ankara summit on the 7th to 8th of this month. When Trump arrived in Turkey, he flew on the Qatar-donated Boeing 747-8. This new presidential aircraft, costing about $400 million, was only delivered to the U.S. last year and underwent several months of modifications before officially taking over the president’s travel schedule. After the summit ended, he flew from Ankara to the U.K. on the older Air Force One, and only when it came time for the final leg of the trip back to the United States did he switch back to the new plane.

Insiders emphasized that the target of the threat was not the Qatar aircraft itself, but Trump and any aircraft carrying him. In other words, the plane change was not to evade an attack aimed at a specific aircraft, but to switch onto an aircraft that can truly withstand an attack.

The old plane has lasers; the new one doesn’t yet

The difference between the two planes lies in the defense systems. The older Air Force One, after years in service, is equipped with laser devices capable of dazzling incoming missiles, as well as guidance and decoy systems designed to deflect munitions away from their target—capabilities built up over decades in layers to counter threats to presidential aircraft. It is not clear to the outside world what defensive equipment the Qatar-donated 747-8 currently has; what is certain is that it has not reached the standard of the older aircraft.

This plane has faced controversy from the start. In 2025, when Qatar proposed the gift, there was domestic debate in the U.S. over whether it was appropriate to accept a $400 million gift from a foreign government. Qatar’s prime minister’s response at the time was that this is completely normal among allies.

The White House says it’s completely safe, but there will be another month of upgrades in the autumn

The White House’s response is that there is nothing wrong with the plane. Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the new Air Force One is “completely safe for the president’s travel, but in the fall it will receive additional upgrades and enhancements.” Trump himself said that over the next month, the aircraft’s capabilities would be “turned all the way up.”

For a plane that is “completely safe,” why would it still need to go into the workshop for another month of changes—those two statements both being true at the same time is not easy. A more reasonable reading is that the new aircraft’s cabin and exterior were already prepared long ago, and the truly labor-intensive, military-standard defensive systems are still in line behind the scenes.

The timing of this matter is also not easy. Before this, the U.S. had already received intelligence suggesting Iran might be plotting an attack targeting Trump, and the threat level to the president’s safety had remained high. Earlier, DONGQU reported that the U.S. airstrikes against Iran have been ongoing for thirteen straight nights, Brent crude broke above $100 per barrel at one point, and Trump himself publicly warned Iran on July 23 that if the Houthis act again they will face “significant military punishment.” The proxy forces he warned about were precisely the ones named in this case.

What really needs to be watched is the upgrade in autumn. As long as the threats from Iran and its proxy forces have not cooled down, whether that $400 million aircraft can finish filling in its defenses before its next trip matters far more than how much its interior is worth.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Trump change planes temporarily in Turkey?

The New York Times, citing insiders, said the U.S. detected a credible plot by Iran and its proxy forces to launch missiles at the president’s aircraft, so the Secret Service advised Trump to switch to the older Air Force One when leaving Ankara. Trump’s earlier explanation was that the plane change was so that U.S. and U.K. stationed forces could tour the new aircraft.

What defensive capability is missing from the Air Force One donated by Qatar?

The older Air Force One is equipped with laser devices to dazzle incoming missiles and a guidance offset system, while the $400 million Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar has not yet reached the level of the older version. The White House said the aircraft will undergo about another month of upgrades and enhancements this autumn.

This article references reporting by the New York Times and CBS News, organized and reported by Dongqu Dongqu.