Current and former Israeli ministers and senior officials have received security warnings in recent days over concerns that Iran may attempt to target prominent figures as part of its effort to avenge the killing of Tehran’s senior leadership.
The officials were given a general warning that attempts could be made to harm senior Israeli figures. Against the backdrop of those alerts, the Shin Bet increased security around Israeli officials and instructed them to break their routines and take additional precautions.
The concerns also prompted an unusual decision to change the departure point of Wing of Zion, the aircraft that carried Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, from Ben Gurion Airport to Nevatim Airbase. The departure times and flight routes were also kept secret.
The United States has also adopted heightened security measures in recent weeks because of Iranian threats.
The New York Times reported on July 9 that the U.S. Secret Service advised President Donald Trump to fly from Turkey aboard the older Air Force One rather than the newly refurbished aircraft gifted by Qatar.
The recommendation was made as a security precaution following the renewed fighting with Iran, according to officials familiar with the flight planning.
Trump switches from the old Air Force One to the Qatari jet amid threats from Iran
(Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images, AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The Wall Street Journal later reported that the aircraft switch occurred after senior U.S. officials received intelligence from Israel concerning a possible plot to assassinate Trump.
Some American officials who spoke with the newspaper said at the time that the threat was not considered fully credible. They also expressed concern that Israel may have shared the intelligence in an effort to influence U.S. decision-making and push Washington back toward a full-scale war with Iran.
On July 25, The Times reported that the sudden switch between the two Air Force One aircraft during Trump’s return flight from the NATO summit in Turkey earlier in the month had been prompted by a “credible threat” from “Iranian proxy forces.” The report did not identify which pro-Iranian group was allegedly behind the plot.
CBS later reported that U.S. authorities had identified what it described as a genuine plan to launch a missile at the president’s aircraft.