President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that he believes he is Iran's top assassination target, telling reporters at a recent NATO summit that he is "No. 1 on the kill list for Iran". His candid remarks have drawn attention because they coincide with a Wall Street Journal report claiming that Israel recently passed the United States fresh intelligence indicating Iran had devised a new plan to kill him, lending apparent weight to long-standing concerns about his safety amid renewed US-Iran conflict.

The threat has also fuelled questions about an unusual aircraft switch during Trump's return from the summit in Turkey, which borders Iran. He flew out aboard the new Air Force One, a retrofitted Boeing 747 donated by Qatar, but switched to one of the older Boeing VC-25A jets for the first leg home, from Ankara to RAF Mildenhall in the UK, before switching back for the transatlantic journey. The White House has not said whether the intelligence influenced the decision, and Trump attributed the change to the newer plane being flown ahead so US troops could tour it. Former Secret Service agent Bill Gage said he had "never seen a plane switch up" mid-trip in all his years of service, while Trump suggested Iran may be seeking revenge for the US killing its leadership.