Bulgaria Approves U.S. Tanker Aircraft Deployment at Bezmer Air Base Amid Protests and Iran Warning

The Bulgarian parliament voted to allow the deployment of up to eight U.S. KC‑135 aerial refuelling tanker aircraft and about 250 American personnel at the Bezmer air base in the Yambol region. The arrangement, covering the period from 24 July to 1 October, is intended to provide logistical support for U.S. operations in the Middle East under a 2006 bilateral agreement.

The decision triggered protests in the nearby village of Bezmer and surrounding municipalities, with locals fearing that the base could become a target for Iranian retaliation. Organisers of the demonstrations called for clearer security guarantees and warned against Bulgaria becoming a “legitimate target” in a conflict that is not directly its own.

Government officials, including Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov, Prime Minister (former President) Rumen Radev, and Defence Commission Chairman Gen. Ivan Lalev, defended the move as a fulfillment of NATO commitments and asserted that the aircraft will not engage in combat operations. Iran’s foreign ministry warned that any state facilitating U.S. attacks on Iran could be considered a participant in hostilities, prompting NATO to state its readiness to defend Bulgaria.

Opposition parties and some MPs voiced criticism, labeling the deployment as unnecessary and risky. The protests remain peaceful, and authorities have pledged enhanced base security.