Two US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft have departed Bulgaria’s Bezmer air base, nearly a month after their deployment triggered criticism and concern from Iran over the potential use of Bulgarian territory to support US military operations in the Middle East.
The aircraft left the southeastern European country on Friday, according to a Reuters report published Saturday. Their departure came after the United States had requested permission to temporarily station as many as eight KC-135 tanker aircraft and up to 250 US military personnel at Bezmer air base. The deployment was intended to provide logistical and aerial refueling support for US military operations in the Middle East.
Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said the aircraft conducted only training missions during their stay and operated over the territories of allied countries. He also said Bulgarian authorities had not received information indicating any direct threat to Bulgaria’s national security as a result of the deployment.
The decision to allow the US aircraft and personnel to use the Bulgarian military facility had previously drawn attention because of growing tensions between Washington and Tehran. Bulgaria’s parliament approved the deployment on July 22 following the US request. The arrangement raised concerns in Iran that Bulgarian military infrastructure could potentially be used to support American operations against Iranian targets.
Iran strongly criticized Sofia’s decision. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei warned Bulgaria against allowing its territory, airspace or military facilities to be used in support of US military operations against Iran. He said that any involvement of Bulgarian territory in such operations could make the country complicit in what Tehran described as “aggression and war crimes.”
The departure of the two KC-135 aircraft reduces the immediate US military presence at Bezmer, although it remains unclear whether additional tanker aircraft or personnel could return to the base in the future. The KC-135 is a long-serving US Air Force aerial refueling aircraft designed to extend the range and operational endurance of fighter jets, bombers and other military aircraft.
The deployment and subsequent withdrawal come amid continued tensions surrounding US military activities in the Middle East and Washington’s broader confrontation with Tehran. Bulgaria has maintained that the aircraft’s presence was limited to approved training activities and that there was no indication of an immediate security threat to the country.
The episode nevertheless highlights the diplomatic challenges faced by European countries that host or support US military forces, particularly as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to influence security calculations across the region and beyond.
