Iran planned to assassinate President Donald Trump during his visit to Turkey, but foreign intelligence uncovered the operation and urgently warned U.S. officials, according to Channel 12.

The intelligence reportedly triggered an immediate change to Trump’s return flight. Instead of leaving Ankara aboard the newly converted, Qatari-gifted Air Force One, presidential security officials placed him aboard the older, heavily fortified aircraft for the most sensitive portion of the journey.

Other reports identified Israel as the source of the warning. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee publicly confirmed that Israeli intelligence had alerted Trump and senior administration officials to a “very specific plot” designed to kill the president. The Wall Street Journal separately reported that Israel had obtained fresh intelligence pointing to an Iranian assassination plan.

Trump departed Turkey aboard a legacy Boeing VC-25A, the familiar blue-and-white Air Force One equipped with advanced defensive countermeasures and secure wartime communications. He flew to RAF Mildenhall in Britain before transferring back to the newer aircraft for the final journey to Washington. Flight trackers were unable to follow the older plane immediately after takeoff, indicating that its transponder had been disabled as an additional security precaution.

The decision exposed serious concerns surrounding the new Boeing 747-8, which Qatar donated before the U.S. spent roughly $400 million converting it for presidential use. The aircraft does not appear to carry all the missile-detection and defensive systems installed on the older presidential jets. According to reports, the Secret Service, White House Military Office and national security officials concluded that the older aircraft offered greater protection while Trump was flying near Iran during renewed hostilities.

Trump publicly denied that the switch was caused by a specific security threat, saying he used the older plane “for old time’s sake” while the new aircraft was flown to Britain for American troops to view. However, he acknowledged that Iran considers him its top assassination target and suggested that the unusually strict precautions during the flight were connected to Tehran. The White House said the new aircraft was secure while noting that presidential protection sometimes relies on distraction and misdirection.

The alleged operation fits a broader Iranian campaign targeting Trump in retaliation for the U.S. strike that killed IRGC Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani. In 2024, the Justice Department charged an Iranian asset accused of being tasked by the regime with organizing another plot to assassinate Trump.

The newly revealed Turkey plot appears far more immediate, intelligence connected the threat to an active presidential trip and caused security officials to alter Trump’s movements in real time. The exact attack method, operatives involved and how close Iran came to executing the plan have not been disclosed.

What is clear is that Israeli intelligence delivered a warning Washington considered serious enough to abandon the president’s preferred aircraft and activate some of America’s most sensitive protective measures.