Trump left Türkiye on secret flight amid Iranian threat: Report

US President Donald Trump secretly departed Türkiye on a military aircraft last month amid an alleged Iranian assassination threat against him while the White House publicly said he was aboard Air Force One, US media reported Monday, citing a US official and other sources familiar with the operation.

According to The Washington Post, Trump boarded the older Air Force One jumbo jet in view of television cameras in Ankara before being quietly transferred minutes later to a smaller Air Force C-32A using an airport catering truck.

The report described the maneuver as designed to conceal his location from the public, journalists and some White House staff members.

The operation came a night after US forces renewed strikes on Iran following a breakdown in negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

Trump visited Ankara for a NATO summit on July 7-8 with world leaders when the alleged threat emerged.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended the measures, saying the Qatari-gifted aircraft, which is now used as Air Force One, has been "fitted with high-level security protocols" to ensure the president's safety.

“As the president has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats,” he added.