Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the two US military tanker aircraft deployed at Bezmer Air Base had conducted flights limited to NATO countries as part of exercises and training.
Speaking at a news conference in Sofia on Monday, Radev said the aircraft had not made even a single flight southward. He said the aircraft that left Bezmer on Friday had flown to NATO countries located north and west of Bulgaria.
Bulgaria does not believe it is under threat
Prime Minister Radev made the remarks after questions about whether the aircraft would return to Bulgaria and whether the country faced any security threat.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei had previously said there was no reason to be concerned about possible Iranian actions as long as countries did not allow their bases, facilities or equipment to be used for “the illegal activities of aggressors.”
Radev said that statement had been taken into consideration and noted that Bulgaria did not believe it was under threat.
Deployment approved on July 22
On July 22, the Bulgarian parliament approved the deployment of up to eight US KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft to the country. The authorization also covered up to 250 US military personnel, including aircraft crews and personnel carrying personal weapons and ammunition.
The parliamentary decision also included keeping support equipment at Bezmer Air Base. The deployment was planned to continue from July 24 to October 1 and to support US operations in the Middle East.