Two US tanker aircraft leave Bulgaria a month after deployment upset Iran
The deployment of the aircraft, approved by Bulgaria's parliament on July 22, led to protests by nearby residents who feared the planes would be attacked by Iranian missiles and drones.
Two US tanker aircraft departed Bulgaria's Bezmer air base on Friday, nearly a month after their deployment in the Balkan nation sparked outrage in Iran. Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov disclosed this development on Saturday, asserting that the US had requested the temporary deployment under a pact governing shared use of military installations. Iran had vehemently denounced the move, alleging it equated to complicity in aggression and war crimes – a claim Sofia swiftly rejected.
The two US Air Force KC-135 planes were granted permission by Bulgaria's parliament on July 22, with Stoyanov confirming this authorization. However, the deployment triggered protests from local residents who harbored fears of potential attacks from Iranian missiles and drones. Stoyanov emphasized that the aircraft's flights during their temporary stint were strictly for training purposes over allied territories and that Bulgaria possessed no intelligence regarding direct threats to the nation's security.
He further affirmed that the decisions taken were well-founded, owing to prior knowledge of the situation, and that all actions were in full coordination with the US government.
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