SOFIA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria's parliament on Wednesday approved the deployment of up to eight U.S. KC-135 tanker aircraft at Bezmer Air Base from July 24 to Oct. 1, 2026, to support U.S. operations in the Middle East.
The measure was approved by 136 lawmakers in the 240-seat parliament, with 13 voting against and two abstaining. The legislators from GERB-UDF, Democratic Bulgaria and We Continue the Change did not participate in the vote.
Meanwhile, the mayors of five municipalities near Bezmer Air Base opposed the deployment, citing public concern over its potential consequences, the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) reported. In a joint statement, they said the move could create additional risks and tensions for both the region and the country.
Bezmer Air Base, about 300 km east of Sofia, is one of the military facilities where the United States is allowed to deploy personnel and equipment under the bilateral defense agreement.
The decision followed a U.S. request submitted on July 17 under the 2006 Bulgaria-U.S. Defense Cooperation Agreement. Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said Bulgaria was not undertaking hostile actions against any country and that no offensive weapons systems would be deployed on its territory. The temporary deployment of tanker aircraft would not make Bulgaria a party to military operations, he added.
However, Iran warned Bulgaria against any involvement in U.S. "aggression." Iran's official news agency IRNA, citing Foreign Ministry spokesperson, reported on Tuesday that Bulgaria's parliament should not make the country "an accomplice of aggressors and criminals" by allowing the United States to use its territory and military facilities.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Monday that U.S. Air Force tanker aircraft had been deployed at Sofia Airport in February with the approval of the previous government without parliamentary authorization. After taking office in May, his government shortened the deployment period to June 30 to allow the United States to adjust its plans and relocate the aircraft, which left Bulgaria by the end of June. ■
