Iranian foreign minister urges Bulgaria to rethink US aircraft deployment at Bezmer

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi pressed Bulgaria to reconsider its decision to permit a short-term U.S. military presence at the Bezmer air base, arguing that the move aids aggression toward Iran. In a call with Bulgarian foreign minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova, he described the approval of up to eight KC-135 tanker aircraft and roughly 250 staff as contrary to the historically amicable relationship between Sofia and Tehran.

Araqchi warned that nations hosting U.S. assets for operations against Iran could face repercussions. He also contacted Cyprus' foreign minister Constantinos Kombos, emphasizing the need to block any foreign bases on the island from being used in attacks on Iran. Bulgaria's parliament had earlier voted to allow the deployment, insisting no offensive weapons would be stationed and that the country would not become a party to the operations. The issue follows earlier Iranian drone strikes on the British RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus after Israel and the United States launched retaliatory strikes on Iran, with Britain maintaining its support for U.S. defensive use of its bases.