Yet another busy day for the U.S. Air Force over Europe, with KC-135R Stratotankers and KC-46A Pegasus continuing to arrive in the region and ferry fighter aircraft to the Middle East, as a clear steady line of C-17A Globemaster IIIs can be seen transporting personnel and equipment between bases in Europe and those in Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.

More fuel for thirsty fighter jets as additional aerial-refueling tankers prepare to cross the Atlantic towards Europe, with 5 KC-135R/T Stratotankers lifting off from McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas bound for Morón Air Base, Spain.

Former Prince Andrew seen leaving the police station in Norfolk, England following his arrested today for suspected misconduct in public office, related to his relationship with convicted sex offender and trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Six KC-135R/T Stratotankers assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing based out of MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, seen on the tarmac at Vrazhdebna Air Base, located on the site of Sofia Airport in Bulgaria, as the Air Force’s buildup of aerial assets directed at Iran, including aerial-refueling tankers, command and control aircraft, fighter jets, and intelligence platforms, continues across both Europe and the Middle East.

President Donald J. Trump once again spoke about Iran earlier while answering questions from reporters aboard Air Force One, stating that “really bad things” will happen if Iran doesn’t make a deal, setting a deadline of around 10-15 days.

President Donald J. Trump is weighing an initial limited military strike on Iran to force it to meet his demands for a nuclear deal, a first step that would be designed to pressure Tehran into an agreement but fall short of a full-scale attack that could inspire a major retaliation against U.S. Forces in the Middle East, officials have told the Wall Street Journal.

The opening assault, which if authorized could come within days, would target a few military or government sites, people familiar with the matter said. If Iran still refused to comply with Trump’s directive to end its nuclear enrichment, the U.S. would respond with a broad campaign against regime facilities - potentially aimed at toppling the Islamic Regime.

Reporter: “Prince Andrew arrested by the police there, related to something with Jeffrey Epstein. Do you think people in this country at some point, associates of Jeffrey Epstein, will wind up in handcuffs too?”

Trump: “Well, you know, I'm the expert in a way because I've been totally exonerated. That's very nice. I can actually speak about it very nicely. I think it's a shame. I think it's very sad. I think it's so bad for the Royal Family. It's very, very sad. To me, it's a very sad thing. When I see that, it's a very sad thing to see it and to see what's going on with his brother, who's obviously coming to our country very soon, and he's a fantastic man, the King. So I think it's a very sad thing. It's really interesting because nobody used to speak about Epstein when he was alive, but now they speak. But I'm the one that can’t talk about it because I've been totally exonerated. I did nothing. In fact, the opposite. He was against me. He was fighting me in the election, which I just found out through the last three million pages of documents.”

President Donald J. Trump gave an extremely weird answer to questions about possible extraterrestrial life visiting Earth while speaking to reporters today aboard Air Force One.

Reporter: “Barack Obama said that aliens are real. Have you seen any evidence of non-human visitors to Earth?”

Trump: “Well, he gave classified information. He's not supposed to be doing that.”

Reporter: “So aliens are real?”

Trump; “Well, I don't know if they're real or not. I can tell you he gave classified information. He's not supposed to be doing that. He made a big mistake. He took it out of classified information. No, I don't have an opinion on it. I never talked about it. A lot of people do. A lot of people believe it.”

New banners featuring President Donald J. Trump with the slogan “MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN” were hung earlier today outside the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington.

President Donald J. Trump has announced that he will be directing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and other departments and agencies, “to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters.”

Tonight’s announcement from President Trump follows unusual statements this week by both President Barack Obama and Trump, suggesting the possibility of extraterrestrial life having previously visited Earth.

Iran has been pressing the Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon to join any potential conflict against Israel and the United States if one breaks out, according to Ynet, with Israel said to be “closely monitoring the situation and has conveyed very clear warnings to Hezbollah that if it decides to intervene, this time the blow will be very painful.”

Israel is prepared for the possibility that Hezbollah, and other Iranian proxies across the Middle East, will join a war if one breaks out between Iran and the United States, sources tell Ynet.

Wow, three of the U.S. Air Force’s C-5M “Super Galaxy” Strategic Heavy-Lift Aircraft are currently airborne at the same time across Europe heading to the Middle East, all while a fourth prepares to cross the Atlantic.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) reports that it detected and tracked two Tu-95s, two Su-35s, and one A-50 with the Russian Air Force operating Thursday, February 19, within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). In response, NORAD scrambled two F-16s, two F-35s, one E-3, and four KC-135s to intercept, positively identify, and escort the aircraft until they departed the Alaskan ADIZ.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision led by Chief Justice John Roberts, has ruled that the sweeping tariffs imposed last year by President Donald J. Trump under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, targeting dozens of countries across the world, were unlawful, with dissent being given by Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett M. Kavanaugh. Members of the Trump Administration had previously threatened that if the tariffs were struck down, it may force the administration to pay back billions in tariff revenue, with President Trump claiming a negative decision posed the “biggest threat” to national security and warning of “economic disaster” for the United States.

U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mahan (DDG-72) has activated its automatic identification system (AIS) as it, and likely the entire USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, conduct their transit of the Strait of Gibraltar from the Atlantic Ocean into the western Mediterranean Sea.

A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon operating out of Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy has descended just east of the Strait of Gibraltar as USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group enters the Mediterranean Sea for the second time on this deployment.

The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and its escorts have transited the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the western Mediterranean Sea on their way eastbound towards the Middle East.
Photo: @Gibdan1

U.S. Air Force heavy airlift assets are still very active over Europe and the Middle East this morning, with 1 C-5M Super Galaxy and 13 C-17A Globemaster IIIs active.

A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) has been issued for Sofia International Airport in Bulgaria, which houses Vrazhdebna Air Base, announcing that the airport will be closed for all flights except those operated by the military between 0115 to 0250 on February 23 and again from 0105 to 0335 on February 24.