Bulgaria has approved the temporary deployment of U.S. military refueling aircraft at the Bezmer Air Base, moving forward with the plan despite a strong warning from Iran against supporting American military operations in the Middle East.
Bulgaria’s parliamentary Defense Committee on Tuesday backed a government proposal allowing up to eight U.S. aerial refueling tankers and 250 American military personnel to be stationed at the Bezmer Air Base in southeastern Bulgaria. According to the Bulgarian News Agency, the deployment is scheduled to run from July 24 until October 1 in support of U.S. operations in the Middle East.
The U.S. Central Command declined to comment on operational details, stating that troop movements and future force deployments would not be discussed for security reasons.
The decision prompted an immediate response from Tehran. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei warned Bulgaria against allowing its territory or military facilities to be used in support of U.S. military operations against Iran.
Baghaei said that any participation in planning or facilitating such operations would amount to complicity in what Iran described as “the crime of aggression and war crimes.” He also urged Bulgaria’s full parliament to reject the deployment proposal.
Under the 2006 Defense Cooperation Agreement between Bulgaria and the United States, the Bezmer Air Base is designated as a joint-use military facility for both countries.
The approval comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran following the resumption of U.S. military operations in the region. Bulgaria’s move also follows similar decisions by key U.S. allies to facilitate American military deployments, underscoring NATO partners’ continued support for U.S. strategic operations.
