Donald Trump uses old Air Force One after NATO summit as Iran conflict heightens

Following the NATO summit in Ankara, President Donald Trump departed Turkey aboard the older Boeing 747‑200 Air Force One rather than the new Qatar‑donated Boeing 747‑8. The White House said the switch was a “distraction and misdirection” to address threats after Trump warned he was “number one on the kill list for Iran.”

White House communications director Steven Cheung quoted the president: “There are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal—including distraction and misdirection—to address those threats.” Trump later posted on social media that the new aircraft was being sent to Mildenhall Air Base in the United Kingdom “for old time’s sake” so military personnel could tour it.

The decision coincided with renewed US‑Iran hostilities. The United States launched strikes on more than 80 Iranian targets after Iran attacked three commercial tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait and claimed to have shot down a US MQ‑9 drone. Trump declared the temporary cease‑fire over, calling Iran “scum” and saying further negotiations were a waste of time.

Commentary notes Trump’s reluctance to enter a prolonged Middle‑East war, warning that extended conflict would drain resources and political capital while Iran continues to test US resolve in the Hormuz corridor.