Iran has issued threats against Bulgaria after the Bulgarian government announced plans to assist the United States in stationing American military aircraft on its territory.
However, NATO Colonel Martin O’Donnell told Euronews that the alliance is prepared to defend Bulgaria if it comes under attack.
He said NATO had already defended Turkish territory against ballistic missile attacks during the early days of the conflict with Iran.
“We saw when Iran fired missiles toward Turkey — a NATO ally — and NATO defended it on all those occasions. We will continue to defend ourselves against any threat posed by Iran or anyone else against this defensive alliance,” O’Donnell said.
Reports indicate that the Bulgarian government plans to station U.S. aircraft at the Bezmer military airbase, located approximately 257 kilometers southeast of the capital Sofia.
The United States and Iran have intensified military strikes since a temporary ceasefire agreement signed a month ago failed to hold, increasing concerns over a possible return to a full-scale conflict.
