Iran allegedly planned to assassinate US President Donald Trump, according to Israeli intelligence reported today by US media, suggesting that this may be why Trump decided to change planes when returning from the NATO summit in Turkey.
According to the Wall Street Journal, which refers to unidentified sources, Israel shared the information with the US, but it remained unclear through which channel, France24 reports.
Washington has been continuously monitoring intelligence on possible plans to assassinate Trump, but "the Israeli warning was new and related to a specific plot," CNN reported, citing unidentified sources familiar with the matter.
Trump has faced several assassination attempts, including a shooting in 2024 in which a bullet grazed his ear, and during the NATO summit in Ankara, he addressed threats from Tehran.
"I'm on every list. I looked at it this morning, I'm on every list they have. And so far, I think I've been a little lucky, but it might not last long," Trump said at a press conference.
Trump left Ankara on an older Air Force 1 plane, and the newer type of that plane, which he received as a gift from Qatar, went to Britain, where he transferred to continue his journey to Washington.
According to the New York Times, the replacement of the plane was made at the request of the US Secret Service due to a "security precaution."
