US bombers denied landing at Italian air base mid-flight on route to Iran
March 31, 2026
Italy has refused permission for some US military aircraft to land at an air base in Sicily, according to local reporting.
A group of bombers had filed a flight plan which included a stopover at Sigonella on route to the Middle East. The aircraft were reportedly already airborne when the refusal was made.
Local outlet ANSA reported that Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto denied permission to land. Although Sigonella is a key US and NATO hub, it remains under Italian sovereignty, giving Rome the final say over how and when it is used.
The refusal comes just hours after Spain confirmed it would no longer allow US military aircraft to use its airbases or even its airspace if they are involved in the war in Iran.
Italy blocks in-flight US bombers from landing in Sicily
According to reports, the US Air Force bombers were already in the air when the flight plan was filed. Italy’s chief of defence staff, General Luciano Portolano, was informed that the plan involved a stop at Sigonella, from where they would continue transit to the Middle East.
Initial checks confirmed that the flights were not routine or logistical, and therefore fell outside of the agreements in place between Rome and Washington.
Portolano duly informed Crosetto, who issued the orders that the aircraft would not be allowed to land in Sigonella. Crosetto stated that no formal authorisation had been requested and the Italian military had not been consulted.
There’s no confirmation of the number or type of bombers involved, or what happened to the aircraft in flight after landing permission was refused.
Why did Italy stop US bombers from using its air base?
Although the refusal of the use of its air bases is concerning, particularly against the backdrop of Spain’s blanket ban, Italy’s decision-making seems to have been driven by procedural rules rather than a rift in relations.
Access to bases like Naval Air Station Sigonella is not open-ended. While US aircraft operate there routinely, that access is conditional, particularly when missions shift from logistics or surveillance into potential combat activity.
In this instance, the issue appears to have been timing and intent. By submitting a flight plan mid-transit, and without prior coordination, the operation effectively bypassed the approval process that underpins US use of Italian territory.
As soon as Italian authorities determined the flights were linked to onward operations in the Middle East, they intervened.
That said, procedural breaches can also provide governments with a clear and defensible basis for refusal, particularly in politically sensitive situations. Italy has not taken as strong a public stance as Spain, but there is limited appetite domestically to be drawn into another Middle East conflict without parliamentary scrutiny.
Featured image: USAF
