SOFIA- Sofia International Airport (SOF) briefly suspended civilian operations twice as US military aircraft staged at the facility.
The temporary closures occurred during sensitive nuclear negotiations with Iran, fueling speculation that Washington may be positioning forces for potential military action.
US Airlift Operations at Sofia Airport
A Notice to Airmen restricted non-military flight operations at Sofia on Feb. 23 from 01:15 to 02:50 local time and again on Feb. 24 from 01:05 to 03:35.
Commercial flights are not ordinarily scheduled during these hours. The Bulgarian investigative outlet Obektivno.BG verified the NOTAM.
Airport authorities attributed the closures to routine runway repairs and denied any connection to the American military presence.
Photographs circulating on social media showed at least six KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft from the 6th Air Refueling Wing based at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida.
Observers also identified C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, along with Boeing 747 aircraft typically configured for troop transport, positioned near Terminal 1.
Bulgaria’s Ministry of Defense confirmed the presence of US Air Force personnel, describing the deployment as support for “training related to NATO’s enhanced vigilance activities.”
Officials stated that American personnel were engaged solely in aircraft maintenance. Caretaker Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynsky acknowledged that her ministry had limited information and ordered officials to collect additional details.
Transatlantic Military Movements and Strategic Context
The activity in Sofia forms part of a broader US force mobilization. Bulgarian investigative journalists tracked more than 120 US Air Force aircraft crossing the Atlantic within days.
The deployments included approximately 4 dozen F-16 fighter jets, 3 squadrons of F-35A Lightning II aircraft, and 12 F-22 Raptor fighters.
Similar deployments preceded Operation Midnight Hammer in June, when US aircraft conducted strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. F-22 aircraft were previously staged at RAF Lakenheath before that operation.
According to Defense News, such forward positioning often serves as a visible deterrent during periods of diplomatic escalation.
Naval forces are also repositioning. The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group is en route to reinforce the USS Abraham Lincoln, which is currently deployed in the Arabian Sea.
UK Position on Potential Strike Facilities
Keir Starmer has refused to grant Washington permission to use two British-controlled installations for any potential strike on Iran.
These include RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, the European forward base for US heavy bombers such as the B-2 and B-52, and the joint US-UK facility at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. The Times of London reported the refusal.
The decision limits available strategic launch points for long-range bomber operations from European territory.
Nuclear Diplomacy Under Pressure
Donald Trump stated on Feb. 19 at the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace that he had given Tehran roughly 10 days to reach a nuclear agreement, warning that “bad things will happen” if talks collapse.
U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met an Iranian delegation in Geneva last week. Abbas Araghchi described agreement on a set of guiding principles but confirmed that significant gaps remain.
The parallel movement of military assets and diplomatic engagement reflects a dual track strategy that combines negotiation with visible deterrence.
Bulgaria’s NATO Commitments
Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004 and signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement with the United States in 2006.
The agreement permits US forces to use designated Bulgarian military facilities for joint training, logistics, and strategic coordination.
While Sofia International Airport primarily handles civilian traffic, temporary operational adjustments fall within Bulgaria’s NATO obligations.
Authorities maintain that the recent restrictions were technical in nature and unrelated to combat preparations.
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