The CIA has labeled Israeli intelligence reports of an alleged Iranian threat to assassinate President Donald Trump by targeting Air Force One with a missile as “low confidence.”
The supposed threat prompted a secret movement that saw Trump briefly board an old Air Force One jet in Ankara, Turkey, before being covertly transferred minutes later to a smaller aircraft via a catering truck. The operation occurred after last month’s NATO Summit and was conducted without knowledge of many White House staff members who believed they were on the same plane as the president.
U.S. intelligence officials have since expressed skepticism about the authenticity of the Iranian assassination plot, with one official stating that the reports were “Israeli-derived, not U.S.-generated, and viewed as low confidence.”
Earlier this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told Trump in February that regime change in Iran would be “quite easily accomplished.” U.S. intelligence analysts described that claim as “farcical,” and Netanyahu had even presented Trump with a video showcasing potential new leaders of Iran, including Reza Pahlavi.
During a meeting in the Situation Room, CIA Director John Ratcliffe dismissed Netanyahu’s plan for regime change as “farcical,” while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and others raised concerns about its feasibility. The intelligence community has warned that a major military campaign against Iran could severely deplete U.S. defense stockpiles.
