Afraid of an Iranian attack? American forces have left Bulgaria
A month after being stationed at a military base in the country, the refueling aircraft returned to the United States. The move comes against the backdrop of reports that the leadership in Tehran considered attacking the facility with missiles. The Bulgarian Minister of Defense clarified that there was no direct threat to national security and that all flights were used for training purposes only.
Bulgarian Minister of Defense Dimitar Stoyanov announced today (Saturday) that two US Army refueling aircraft left the Bezmer airbase last night. Their departure comes about a month after their deployment was approved, a move that sparked local protests and drew sharp threats from Iran to strike the facility.
The deployment of the KC-135 aircraft was approved by the local parliament on July 22 as part of an agreement for the joint use of military facilities between Bulgaria and the United States. The decision sparked protests from local residents who feared an Iranian attack using missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. At the same time, Tehran issued an official statement according to which American activity on Bulgarian territory is considered complicity in aggression and war crimes. The government in Sofia rejected the accusations.
Tensions surrounding the base reached a peak this week. On Wednesday, the Financial Times newspaper, citing sources close to the leadership in Tehran, reported that Iranian forces had examined the possibility of attacking American assets in Southeast Europe. The Bulgarian facility was mentioned as one of the primary targets in the plans.
Despite reports of attack intentions, the Bulgarian government is working to cool the tensions. Defense Minister Stoyanov claimed that during the month of their stay in Bulgaria, the Americans conducted training flights only over allied countries.
"We have no information about direct threats to our national security," he declared.
He added that his government acted in full coordination with Washington and relied on prior information, so all decisions were made on a well-founded basis.
