President Trump unexpectedly abandoned plans to depart Turkey aboard the new $400 million Air Force One on Wednesday, opting instead for the older presidential aircraft as tensions with Iran intensified. The sudden decision immediately fueled widespread speculation that security concerns — including the possibility of an Iranian attack — played a role, particularly after Trump repeatedly discussed Tehran’s alleged desire to assassinate him.

Rather than returning from the NATO summit aboard the lavish new aircraft that he had enthusiastically debuted last week, Trump boarded the previous version of Air Force One. The switch came just days after he had begun showcasing the new jet, which he has repeatedly praised as a major upgrade to the presidential fleet.

Although Trump publicly insisted the new aircraft was heading to England so American service members could tour it, many questioned that explanation after he spent much of the day highlighting threats from Iran against his life.

Asked directly during a press conference whether security concerns influenced the decision, Trump stopped short of dismissing the suggestion.

“I’m number one on the kill list for Iran. They’re lovely people,” Trump told a NY Post reporter who asked if security concerns motivated the switch.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump also warned of the danger posed by Tehran, saying, “They want to take out the US leader, me … And so far, I guess I’ve been a little bit lucky. But that maybe doesn’t last very long.”

When questioned by a New York Times reporter about why he wasn’t using the new aircraft, Trump responded: “It’s flying to Europe, to one of the big bases, two or three of the big bases, where we can show it to the people, and we’ll be going home by normal methods.”

The president had eagerly displayed the aircraft during its first official outings, including two domestic trips last week, and upon arriving in Ankara on Tuesday, he again praised the jet’s luxurious features.

The older Air Force One is widely believed to be equipped with advanced missile-defense systems, one reason officials have long restricted close-up photographs of the aircraft’s rear section. Whether the newly acquired presidential jet has been fitted with comparable defensive capabilities has not been publicly confirmed.

The aircraft change came as Trump dramatically escalated military pressure on Iran. Overnight, he ordered a new wave of American airstrikes, declared the recently brokered peace arrangement effectively finished, and warned that additional strikes could follow later Wednesday. He also floated the possibility of targeting Iran’s Kharg Island oil terminal and restoring a naval blockade.

In his initial social media announcement, Trump framed the decision as a tribute to American troops.

“We are sending the brand new, and truly spectacular, Air Force One to Mildenhall Air Force Base, in the United Kingdom, to give them a chance to tour the Aircraft — Everybody is so excited, and we thought that they should be the first,” Trump wrote.

He added, “For old time’s sake, we’ll be taking the former Air Force One, from Turkey to Mildenhall, a short trip that is totally worth doing in order to give our Great Military Heroes a chance to appreciate our beautiful new addition to the Air Force Fleet!”

Military analysts suggested the official explanation may not tell the whole story. Retired Army Gen. Robert Abrams told ABC News that security at Ankara’s airport “was probably a concern” and that “it had to be significant enough, I think, in this case for President Trump to agree not to fly out on it.”

Marc Polymeropoulos, a retired CIA official, also questioned whether the aircraft was fully prepared for overseas presidential missions, writing on X that he believed the plane was “not equipped with [an] appropriate comms/force pro[tection]/security package” for international duty and that “Secret Service and US [Air Force] pleas must have won out.”