Two KC-135 Tankers Withdrawn from Bezmer Air Base after Iran's Warnings
Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov confirmed the US tankers left Bezmer after Tehran warned their presence would amount to "participation in aggression and war crimes."
Two United States KC-135 aerial refuelling tankers have left the Bezmer air base in southeastern Bulgaria, Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov confirmed, after Tehran publicly protested their temporary deployment.
The aircraft were sent to Bulgaria at Washington's request about a month ago under an agreement that governs the shared use of military facilities, the minister said. The deployment had been approved by the Bulgarian parliament on 22 July.
Heightened local alarm and regional concern
Bulgarian authorities increased security at Bezmer following reports that Iranian forces are considering possible strikes against US military targets in southeastern Europe. Local residents from settlements around Bezmer staged protests, saying they fear the base could become a target for missiles and armed drones.
A recent report, citing two sources close to the Iranian regime, said Iranian commanders were assessing options to attack US military sites in the region if President Donald Trump further escalates the conflict. The United States has been at war with Iran since 28 February.
Reacting to the deployment, the spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmail Bagaei, said: "Decision-makers in Bulgaria must bear responsibility for the dangerous decision to station American refuelling aircraft in their military bases,".
Minister Stoyanov told reporters that all flights by the tankers during their temporary stay were training flights flown over allied countries, and that Bulgaria "has no information of direct threats to its national security".
Photo: press material from the event
