Middle East: Trump took secret flight out of Turkey

Ankara: US President Donald Trump reportedly departed from Turkey on a secret military flight in July, instead of the flying aboard an older Air Force One plane as announced by the White House.

This was in response to a credible Iranian assassination threat, the Washington Post reported, as the monthslong war continued. 

Trump had taken the newly renovated Qatari-donated jet to Ankara for the NATO summit in July. However, he unexpectedly announced he would used an older Air Force One when departing the country, "for old times's sake." The move had then raised question over the donated jet's safety.

Trump boarded the older Air Force One in front of cameras but was secretly shuttled by an airport catering truck to a smaller plane, an Air Force C-32A, the Washington Post said, citing corroborating material and a US official familiar with the operation.

Journalists aboard the decoy Air Force One, where they believed to be accompanied by the US President, said they had been advised to keep their window shades closed in the press cabin. 

When they inquired about it later, Trump said it was because they were "probably on a dangerous flight."

"But if I go, you go. Right?" he added. 

The White House did not directly address the report.

Communications director Steven Cheung told the Post there were "many enemies of America" targeting Trump and that every available tool was being used to counter threats.

US has 'swept entire Strait of Hormuz' of mines: Trump

President Donald Trump said that the US has cleared the Strait of Hormuz of mines, and that the critical trade route was open to commercial traffic. 

Trump told reporters at the White House that the US had 100% control of the waterway.

"A little bit complex because they [Iran] will, on occasion, drop a mine, and we find the mines. You know, we've mine swept the entire Strait," he said.

Trump's comments came as Washington and Tehran have been negotiating the full reopening of the strait for some time. Iran has linked the route's reopening to concessions from the US and its allies while affirming plans to charge commercial vessels passing through the strait. 

Trump responded to the concessions demand saying he too would demand compensation from Iran, for all the people injured or killed in the conflict.

Over the last weekend, US Vice President JD Vance said that Iran had laid a large number of mines in the Strait at he beginning of the war.