In a statement posted on social media, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghai said that “decision-makers in Bulgaria must be held accountable for the dangerous decision to station a U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft at their military bases.”
Tehran emphasized that this is not an isolated incident, asserting that similar decisions have been made in the past to “support U.S. military operations against Iran.”
“The Bulgarian people know very well that the Iranian people have never had any issues with Bulgaria. For decades, relations between our two countries have been based on mutual respect,” Euronews reported.
These latest statements mark Iran’s third warning to Bulgaria regarding the presence of U.S. military aircraft.
They came just a few days after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly thanked Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev in a post on Truth Social.
“Thank you, Prime Minister Radev! Bulgaria stands with Trump and supports the deployment of a U.S. Air Force base, despite threats from Iran,” Trump wrote.
“The risk remains limited”
This exchange of statements has heightened concerns in Bulgaria, although Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov is trying to reassure the public that the risks remain limited.
In an interview with the Bulgarian television channel bTV, the minister noted that the risk is lower now than it was when U.S. military aircraft were based at a civilian airport.
Earlier this week, the Bulgarian parliament approved the relocation of U.S. aircraft to the Bezmer military airbase. This decision sparked protests from local residents, who fear that, amid growing regional tensions, the area could become a potential target.
