Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has urged Bulgaria and Cyprus to block the use of their territories for U.S. military operations against Iran. Araqchi warned Bulgaria that hosting U.S. KC-135 tanker aircraft at Bezmer air base facilitates aggression. While Bulgaria insists the deployment is non-offensive, Iran continues to warn of consequences, pointing to a prior drone strike on Britain's RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus as tensions escalate.
Iranian diplomatic pressure campaign
- ▪Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi urged Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova on July 30, 2026, to reconsider Bulgaria's decision to allow the temporary deployment of U.S. military aircraft at Bezmer air base.
- ▪Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi held a phone call with Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos to stress the importance of preventing foreign military bases in Cyprus from being used against Iran.
U.S. aircraft at Bezmer
- ▪Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated to Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova that Sofia's approval of U.S. military aircraft deployment at Bezmer air base facilitated aggression against Iran.
- ▪Bulgaria stated that no offensive weapons would be deployed at Bezmer air base and that the deployment did not make Bulgaria a party to military operations.
Bulgarian parliament deployment approval
- ▪The Bulgarian parliament approved the temporary deployment of U.S. military assets at Bezmer air base despite official objections from Iran.
- ▪Bulgaria's parliament approved the temporary deployment of up to eight U.S. KC-135 tanker aircraft and up to 250 personnel at Bezmer air base.
British bases in Cyprus
- ▪British Prime Minister Andy Burnham maintained a defense arrangement with the United States in July 2026 allowing the use of British bases.
- ▪Britain agreed to a U.S. request to use British bases for defensive strikes against Iranian missiles in storage depots or launchers, but later clarified RAF Akrotiri would not be involved.
- ▪Cyprus hosts two British sovereign military bases, including RAF Akrotiri.
Iranian consequence warnings
- ▪Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned Britain against facilitating U.S. military operations against Iran after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham maintained a defense arrangement with the United States.
- ▪Iran has repeatedly warned countries allowing their territory to be used for U.S. military operations against Iran that they could face consequences.
RAF Akrotiri drone strike
- ▪The drone strike on RAF Akrotiri in early March 2026 occurred a few days after Israel and the United States initiated military strikes on Iran.
- ▪RAF Akrotiri, a British sovereign military base in Cyprus, was struck by a suspected Iranian drone in early March 2026.
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