US President Donald Trump reportedly made an undisclosed switch of aircraft while leaving Turkey last month amid heightened tensions with Iran, according to The Washington Post.

Trump had travelled to Ankara for the NATO summit aboard the newly refurbished Boeing 747 donated by Qatar. The trip marked the aircraft's first overseas journey with the US president. However, instead of using the same plane to leave Turkey, Trump reportedly boarded the older Air Force One before making a concealed transfer to a smaller US military aircraft.

According to people familiar with the operation cited by the newspaper, Trump was moved from the presidential aircraft to a C-32A, a smaller US Air Force jet. The transfer reportedly took place after he appeared to board the older Air Force One in front of cameras at Ankara airport.

Secret Flight To Britain

The C-32A reportedly departed Turkey for Britain and reached RAF Mildenhall at around 10:20 pm. The older Air Force One, carrying Trump and members of the media, arrived shortly afterwards.

Trump had earlier said on Truth Social that he planned to use the older blue-and-white Air Force One for the journey from Ankara to Britain "for old time's sake". The newly refurbished aircraft was also scheduled to stop at RAF Mildenhall so American service personnel could tour the plane.

The reported use of a third aircraft was not publicly disclosed at the time.

Security Concerns Around New Aircraft

The revelation has raised questions about the security of the Qatar-provided aircraft, particularly because Trump's NATO trip coincided with escalating tensions involving Iran.

Turkey's geographical proximity to Iran and the broader regional security situation added to concerns surrounding the president's travel arrangements.

The White House, responding to questions about the reported secret flight, did not directly address the aircraft switch. Instead, Communications Director Steve Cheung said the Qatari aircraft had been equipped with stringent security measures designed to protect the president and his staff.

Cheung also said the administration was using all available measures to counter threats against Trump, pointing to what the White House described as multiple potential enemies targeting the president.

The Pentagon had not immediately commented on the report.