Two US tanker aircraft leave Bulgaria a month after deployment upset Iran
The aircraft left after a temporary deployment that drew Iranian threats and local protests, officials said.
- On Saturday, Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov confirmed that two U.S. Air Force KC-135 tanker aircraft departed Bezmer Air Base, ending a nearly month-long deployment that had angered Iran.
- Bulgaria's parliament approved the temporary stationing on July 22, prompting local protests from residents who feared the base could be targeted by Iranian missiles and drones. The United States requested the deployment under an agreement governing joint military facility use.
- Stoyanov said the flights were training missions, noting Bulgaria had "no information about direct threats to our national security." Iran labeled the deployment complicity in "aggression and war crimes," a charge Sofia dismissed.
- The withdrawal follows reports that Iran considered targeting U.S. assets in Bulgaria and Cyprus if tensions escalated. Stoyanov emphasized the government coordinated fully with Washington throughout the process.
- As the U.S. and Iran remain in conflict, President Donald Trump has promised "unprecedented" new economic measures alongside a naval blockade. Iran's leadership warns of "revolutionary, crushing, regrettable and destructive responses" to any perceived military threat.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Bulgaria removes US tankers after Iran threat as Tehran shows off underground missile
Days after reports Iran weighed striking Bulgaria over two US refueling aircraft, Sofia says the planes have left; Tehran vows a ‘crushing’ response, flaunts an underground missile plant, while Trump says Iran still wants the wrong deal
The Bulgarian Defense Minister announced that two US KC-135 tanker aircraft had left the country. The flights, which took place during a temporary deployment, were described as training flights. There was no information regarding any Iranian attack threats.
The United States withdrew two refuelling aircraft from the Bezmer airbase in Bulgaria, nearly a month after the deployment of U.S. aircraft provoked Iran's anger.
Two U.S. refuelling aircraft left Bezmer airbase in Bulgaria, Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoianov said on Saturday, nearly a month after their deployment in...
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