Bulgarian Parliament approves US use of air base to support Middle East operations
Lawmakers voted 136-13 to allow up to eight KC-135 refueling aircraft and 250 personnel for support missions.
- Bulgaria's parliament voted 136-13 yesterday to allow up to eight U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft and 250 personnel to use Bezmer Air Base from Friday through Oct. 1, following a request from the U.S. Embassy.
- Prime Minister Rumen Radev sought the deployment to relocate U.S. military operations from the civilian Vasil Levski Sofia Airport to Bezmer, a joint-use facility established under a 2006 U.S.-Bulgaria defense agreement.
- Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov told legislators the mission is "solely for logistical missions involving in-flight refueling outside Bulgarian airspace," adding that all necessary measures ensure Bulgaria will not become involved in any conflict.
- Some legislators expressed concern about potential entanglement in the Iran war, reflecting broader friction within the European Union over the Trump administration's use of air bases to support Middle East operations.
- No further parliamentary authorizations are required for the deployment, allowing the KC-135 aircraft to begin operations in support of Middle East missions through Oct. 1 without additional delays.
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Parliament in Sofia approved Wednesday the presence in Bulgaria of up to eight KC-135 refuelling aircraft of the American Air Force and their crews, up to 250 armed and ammunition-equipped military personnel, at the Bezmer air base between July 24 and October 1, 2026, in support of American operations in the Middle East. The proposal was submitted by the Council of Ministers.
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