Iranian state media has mocked US President Donald Trump over the key plane swap that came about throughout his departure from Turkey final month, portraying the episode as proof of Washington’s concern of Iran’s army capabilities.A presenter on Iranian state tv described the incident as a brand new “scandal” for Trump and stated it had change into a supply of humiliation for the US president. The feedback got here after new particulars emerged concerning the safety operation throughout Trump’s return from the Nato summit in Ankara.The operation was prompted by what US officers described as a reputable menace that the presidential plane might be focused by a shoulder-fired missile. Trump was secretly moved from Air Pressure One to a smaller C-32A authorities jet, whereas the bigger presidential plane left individually with senior administration officers, employees and journalists on board.The New York Instances had reported that US intelligence additionally discovered that Iranian operatives knew the place Trump was staying in Ankara, together with the ground of his resort. Tehran has not formally commented on these allegations or the plane swap.The episode rapidly grew to become materials for Iranian propaganda and social media. Iran’s embassy in South Africa posted a meme exhibiting Trump inside a catering field full of meals, alongside a warning that he would “be hidden in a trash can earlier than lengthy”.In a observe up publish Iran claimed that, “The one they claimed was hiding in a bunker was martyred in his workplace. But the one who boasted about his huge warships and superior B-2 bombers ended up fleeing in a meals truck.”The catering truck was reportedly used to hide Trump and a small group of aides as they moved from the presidential plane to the smaller jet on July 8.Iranian state media additionally pointed to the broader symbolism of the incident, with a tv presenter arguing that the extraordinary safety measures demonstrated the attain of Iran’s army energy. Tehran has beforehand rejected US allegations that it was concerned in plots in opposition to Trump.
