Iranian Lawmakers Mock Trump Over Secret Flight, Strait of Hormuz Claims

Iranian lawmakers and officials have publicly mocked U.S. President Donald Trump over a secret security operation that saw him covertly transferred from Air Force One in Turkey, linking the incident to his recent aggressive claims about seizing the Strait of Hormuz. The ridicule follows revelations that during a July 2026 visit to Ankara for a NATO summit, U.S. authorities moved Trump to a smaller military aircraft using an airport catering truck to evade what was described as a credible Iranian assassination threat.

According to multiple reports, U.S. intelligence uncovered a plot by Iranian operatives to target Air Force One with a shoulder-fired missile during Trump's departure from Turkey. In response, the Secret Service orchestrated an unusual operation. Trump publicly boarded an older Boeing 747 aircraft serving as Air Force One, but was secretly transferred minutes later to a C32A military jet via a catering vehicle. The larger aircraft then flew to the United Kingdom as a decoy, carrying senior staff, officials, and members of the press corps who were unaware the president was not aboard. Trump later confirmed he had been advised to switch planes due to a security threat.