Washington: US officials are examining intelligence shared by Israel about a possible Iranian plot to assassinate President Donald Trump, a warning that contributed to a decision to move him to an older and better-protected Air Force One during his return from Turkey, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
The newspaper reported that the intelligence indicated a fresh Iranian plan to kill Trump. Some US officials, however, did not consider the information entirely credible.
CNN reported that it involved more general discussion among hardliners in Tehran about killing the President rather than a specific plot.
The warning came as Trump ordered renewed US strikes on Iran after Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The escalation has raised concerns here that Tehran could retaliate against the United States and its allies across the Middle East.
Trump travelled to a NATO summit in Ankara aboard a Boeing 747 donated by Qatar and modified by the US Air Force. He switched to an older Air Force One for part of his return journey, flying to Britain before boarding the newer aircraft again for Washington.
The Wall Street Journal said the decision reflected concerns that the donated aircraft lacked some defensive capabilities needed in a heightened threat environment. The precise defensive capabilities of Air Force One are classified.
Trump denied Wednesday that a security concern prompted the switch. Asked if he knew of a credible Iranian threat against Air Force One, he said he faced threats “all the time” and was “number one on their list.”
White House communications director Steven Cheung said the newer aircraft “has been fitted with high-level security protocols” to protect the President.
Some US officials also questioned whether Israel shared the intelligence to influence Washington towards a wider war with Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported. They cautioned that a single piece of intelligence could offer only a fragmentary picture of a possible threat.
A spokeswoman for the Israeli Embassy rejected suggestions of a hidden motive. She said Israel shares intelligence with the United States because of the close partnership between the two countries.
“The Iranian regime remains a clear and present danger to President Trump — and to the countless other Americans it has targeted for assassination and kidnapping on American soil,” Nathan Sales, a former State Department counterterrorism coordinator, told The Hill.
Trump announced Friday that the US-Iran ceasefire had ended, although negotiations would continue.
“The Cease Fire is OVER!” he wrote on Truth Social.
Trump has previously been the target of assassination attempts. Increased security measures have surrounded his travel and large public events.
Iranian threats against Trump predate the latest conflict. His 2024 presidential campaign said it had been briefed on “real and specific threats from Iran to assassinate him in an effort to destabilize and sow chaos in the United States.”
Trump ordered the January 2020 drone strike in Baghdad that killed Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani. Iranian authorities have repeatedly vowed revenge for the killing.
(IANS)
