According to Bulgaria, the flights of the two US military tanker aircraft deployed at Bezmer Air Base were limited to exercises and training activities. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the aircraft flew only to NATO countries.
Speaking at a press conference in Sofia on Monday, Radev said the aircraft had not made a single flight south. He said the aircraft that left Bezmer Air Base on Friday flew to NATO countries north and west of Bulgaria.
Iran's statement and Bulgaria's assessment
Prime Minister Radev was responding to questions about whether the aircraft would return to Bulgaria and whether the country faced any security threat.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei had said there was no reason for Iran's potential actions to be feared as long as countries did not allow their bases, facilities or equipment to be used for “the illegal activities of aggressors.”
Radev said the statement had been taken into account and declared that Bulgaria did not believe it was under threat.
The parliamentary decision of July 22
On July 22, the Bulgarian parliament authorized the deployment to the country of up to eight US KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft and their crews. The decision also covers the deployment of up to 250 US military personnel carrying personal weapons and ammunition.
The regulation also authorized support equipment to be kept at Bezmer Air Base and planned the deployment to continue from July 24 to October 1. The deployment was intended to support US operations in the Middle East.