UK-based RAF listed base hosting USAF operations
Reports have emerged that Israeli intelligence alerted US officials to a new Iranian assassination plot against President Trump, while the president has used an older Air Force One on a July NATO trip after Secret Service security advice. Separately, Palm Beach International Airport has been renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport, with its IATA code set to change to DJT on Aug. 18.
The Qatar-donated Air Force One has entered service but is undergoing security upgrades. Lawmakers have questioned funding and oversight as the jet is retrofit for presidential use, while the outgoing model remains in use for certain trips. The presidency is balancing diplomatic gifts with rigorous security needs amid ongoing scrutiny.
US forces have carried out repeated airstrikes on Iranian military sites and Iran has launched missile and drone attacks on US-linked facilities and civilian infrastructure across the Gulf, including Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan. CENTCOM has confirmed multiple US service deaths and a controlled detonation fatality; regional air-defence systems are intercepting incoming threats.
The Washington Post has reported that President Trump has secretly swapped planes when leaving a NATO summit in Ankara due to a credible Iranian threat. He boarded Air Force One in view of cameras and was later transported to a military aircraft via a catering truck, with journalists unaware. The president asserts he follows security guidance, while the administration defends the newer aircraft’s security.
The Washington Post reports a covert move during July’s NATO summit in Ankara, where Trump reportedly boarded the older Air Force One, then was secretly moved to a smaller jet via a catering truck. Reportedly, journalists believed they were traveling with him on Air Force One, while he flew to RAF Mildenhall in the UK on a different plane.
Karoline Leavitt has announced she will leave her role as White House press secretary at the end of August to spend more time with her two young children. President Donald Trump has said she will remain a top outside adviser; the White House has not named a successor and senior officials are expected to brief reporters temporarily.
The Guardian, Independent and BBC report Trump has overseen a security maneuver after reports of a heightened Iranian threat. The White House has not confirmed details, but officials describe increased protective measures and a temporary relocation using decoy assets to prevent targeted attacks.
The UK has granted Ukraine access to declassified blueprints for British-made components used in the Scalp missile, the European-produced version of the Storm Shadow. Russia has warned of consequences and highlighted potential threats to UK bases in Europe as Kyiv deepens its defense production.