President Donald Trump was secretly flown out of Türkiye aboard a military jet after U.S. officials determined that an Iranian threat against him was credible during last month's NATO summit, according to two senior U.S. officials familiar with the operation.

Trump and the public had been led to believe he left Türkiye on July 8 aboard an older version of Air Force One.

Instead, Trump was moved from that aircraft through a catering container and taken to a separate military plane that secretly flew him to Britain, one of the officials said.

The elaborate deception was designed to conceal Trump's whereabouts and prevent potential attackers from knowing which aircraft he was actually aboard.

Reporters traveling with Trump were not told about the switch.

They remained aboard the older Air Force One and flew to Royal Air Force Mildenhall in England, unknowingly serving as decoys while Trump traveled separately aboard a C-32A, a military version of the Boeing 757, according to the officials.

The Washington Post previously reported that the C-32A was the aircraft that carried Trump from Türkiye to Britain.

The operation was an unusual instance in which journalists assigned to cover a sitting president were deliberately misled about his location.

Trump had arrived in Türkiye aboard a luxury Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar. The aircraft is being considered for future use as Air Force One but has raised security concerns because it lacks some of the defensive capabilities found on the older presidential aircraft.

Trump publicly said he would leave Türkiye aboard the older Air Force One "for old time's sake."

At the airport, cameras captured Trump boarding the older aircraft through its usual left-side door. Journalists accompanying him boarded through the rear.

But Trump did not actually leave the country on that plane.

According to a U.S. official, a catering container was positioned on the opposite side of the aircraft, away from reporters. Trump was moved through the container and taken to the waiting military aircraft.

The reporters remained aboard the older Air Force One, unaware that the president was traveling separately.

The plane landed at Mildenhall at 10:16 p.m., according to a pool report. About 40 minutes later, Trump appeared, having already been secretly transferred back to the older Air Force One.

He then walked across the tarmac to the Qatari aircraft, where reporters were waiting. Trump and the press pool boarded the newer plane and flew to Washington.

The operation was assembled within hours after U.S. officials determined that a threat from Iran was credible, according to an official familiar with the planning.

Trump was briefed while in Türkiye, and a small group of senior officials was involved, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The threat was not specifically tied to the Qatari aircraft. Officials said Trump was considered a target regardless of which plane he used.

The White House repeated a statement issued during the summit by communications director Steven Cheung, who said the administration used "distraction and misdirection" to counter threats against Trump.

The White House later reissued the statement without that phrase.

Former Secret Service agent Donald Mihalek said the agency has previously used decoy motorcades and flights to protect presidents, particularly in areas where there is a risk of combat.

During the flight back to Washington, reporters asked Trump why they had traveled to Britain aboard the older Air Force One.

Trump said he wanted troops at Mildenhall to see the newer Qatari aircraft. Asked why reporters had been instructed to keep their window shades closed during the flight from Türkiye, he said he knew of no specific threat but acknowledged Iran's longstanding hostility toward him.

"I'm number one on their list, before you," Trump told reporters. "But if I go, you go. Right?"

Trump has faced Iranian threats since ordering the 2020 killing of Gen. Qassim Suleimani during his first term. U.S. intelligence also warned during his 2024 campaign of potential Iranian plots against him, prompting increased security and occasional use of decoy aircraft.

The threats included an alleged murder-for-hire plot involving an Iranian proxy and the hacking of Trump campaign officials' accounts.

The secret flight came after reports raised questions about the security of the Qatari aircraft, angering Trump and prompting the Justice Department to subpoena journalists involved in reporting on the issue. Those subpoenas were later withdrawn after a federal judge criticized the process.