Iran's Foreign Minister Araqchi urges Bulgaria to reconsider U.S. military aircraft deployment at Bezmer air base
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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