Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi during a diplomatic engagement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has urged Bulgaria to reconsider its decision to allow the temporary deployment of US military aircraft at the Bezmer Air Base, according to Iranian state media.
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During a telephone conversation with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova, Araqchi said Sofia’s approval of the US request to station military aircraft at the base would support military operations against Iran. He described the decision as unacceptable and said it was inconsistent with the traditionally friendly relations between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Araqchi repeated Iran’s warning that countries allowing their territory to support US military operations against Tehran could face consequences.
In a separate call, Araqchi spoke with Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos. He stressed the need to prevent foreign military bases in Cyprus from being used for operations against Iran.
Last week, Bulgaria’s parliament approved the temporary deployment of up to eight US KC-135 tanker aircraft and as many as 250 military personnel at Bezmer Air Base despite Iranian objections.
However, the Bulgarian government said the deployment would not include offensive weapons. It also maintained that the decision does not make Bulgaria a party to military operations.
Cyprus hosts two British sovereign military bases, including RAF Akrotiri. An Iranian drone struck the base in early March, days after Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran.
Earlier, Britain agreed to a US request to use British bases for defensive operations targeting Iranian missile launchers and storage sites. It later clarified that RAF Akrotiri would not take part in that arrangement.
Furthermore, Britain’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham kept the broader defence agreement in place after taking office in July. In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned Britain against facilitating US military operations against Iran.
