Two US Tanker Aircraft Leave Bulgaria After Controversial Month-Long Deployment
US Tanker Aircraft Deployment in Bulgaria: Timeline and Reactions
Background of the Deployment
Aug 22 (Reuters) - Two U.S. tanker aircraft have left Bulgaria’s Bezmer air base, Bulgaria's defence minister said on Saturday, nearly a month after their deployment in the Balkan country angered Iran.
The United States, which has been at war with Iran since February 28, requested their temporary deployment under an agreement governing the joint use of military facilities.
Iran's Response and Diplomatic Tensions
Iran said at the time that their deployment would constitute complicity in "aggression and war crimes", a charge that Sofia dismissed.
Departure of the Aircraft
The two U.S. Air Force KC-135 planes left Bulgaria on Friday, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov told reporters.
The U.S. authorities could not be immediately reached for comment.
Local and National Reactions
Public Protests and Security Concerns
The deployment of the aircraft, approved by Bulgaria's parliament on July 22, led to protests by nearby residents who feared the planes would be attacked by Iranian missiles and drones.
Official Statements
Bulgarian Defence Minister's Comments
Stoyanov said all the aircraft's flights during their temporary deployment had been training missions over allied countries and that Bulgaria had "no information about direct threats to our national security."
"We are working in full coordination with the U.S. government and had prior information, which is why all our decisions were well-founded," he said.
(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
