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US tankers near Iran
Bulgaria moved Tuesday toward allowing up to eight US tanker aircraft and 250 American military personnel to be stationed at Bezmer Air Base in southeastern Bulgaria, a step that Tehran said raised the risk of the NATO member being pulled into the Iran-US conflict.
“permitting up to eight US tanker aircraft and 250 American military personnel”
Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova said hosting up to eight US KC-135 refueling aircraft and 250 military personnel at Bezmer Air Base would not make Bulgaria a party to the war in Iran, and she said parliamentary approval was required by law.
The United States requested the deployment run from July 24 to October 1 in support of operations in the Middle East, according to CNN, and the report said US Central Command declined to discuss the proposed deployment, adding, “For operational security reasons, we do not discuss troop movements or speculate on future force posture.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei warned Bulgaria not to allow its territory or military facilities to be used in support of US operations targeting Iran, saying any participation in planning or carrying out such operations would amount to complicity in what he called “the crime of aggression and war crimes.”
Tehran’s warning, Sofia’s vote
Iran warned Bulgaria against hosting American aircraft at Bezmer, with Anadolu reporting that Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told IRNA that any participation or cooperation in preparing or carrying out US strikes would amount to complicity in “aggression and war crimes.”
Anadolu also reported that Bulgaria’s defense committee approved the proposal with a vote of 11 votes in favour, one against, with two abstentions, and that the issue was expected to be put to the National Assembly soon.
In parallel, the Sofia Globe reported that opposition Democratic Bulgaria abstained, while Vuzrazhdane voted against, and it quoted Democratic Bulgaria’s Ivailo Mirchev saying, “We were denied this and for this reason we voted abstain.”
The Sofia Globe said Bulgarian President Iliana Yotova stated the deployment would not make Bulgaria a party to the conflict, while the proposal called for up to eight US Boeing KC-135 tanker refuelling aircraft and up to 250 military personnel from July 24 to October 1 2026.
What’s at stake next
The Iranian warnings came as the sources described intensified US and Iran actions after a temporary ceasefire agreement collapsed, with the Jerusalem Post saying the US and Iran have intensified strikes since an interim ceasefire deal signed a month ago unraveled.
““aggression and war crimes,””
The Jerusalem Post also said Iran warned Bulgaria not to host American aircraft or aid US in attacks, quoting Baghaei that any activity facilitating US attacks would amount to complicity in “aggression and war crimes,” and it described the tanker aircraft as primarily used to refuel other aircraft.
Novinite reported that the planned deployment was expected to take place at Bezmer Air Base between July 24 and October 1, and it said the request differed from a previous deployment because the purpose was stated as support for US operations in the Middle East rather than NATO exercises.
In the same reporting thread, Novinite quoted Bulgarian diplomat Lyubomir Kyuchukov saying, “Because these tanker planes logistically support combat operations, and this is not in the agreement,” and he argued that while Bulgaria would not formally become a participant in the war, it would become involved in the broader conflict by taking a side.