Bezmer, Bulgaria – The news landed on Saturday, bringing relief to nearby villagers: two United States Air Force (USAF) refuelling aircraft had left Bulgaria’s Bezmer airbase. The village had spent weeks worrying that the aircraft could make their area in southeastern Bulgaria a target for Iranian attacks. Tehran had urged Bulgaria against allowing its territory to be used for the US and Israel’s military operation against Iran.
Later, citing unnamed Iranian sources, the Financial Times reported that in the event of Washington’s escalation in Iran, Iranian forces had “assessed striking US assets in southeastern European countries such as Bulgaria” after Sofia had approved the use of its Bezmer airbase for US refuelling aircraft. This week, Stoyanov told reporters that Iran had carried out an effective hybrid operation, aided by Bulgarian politicians in the opposition. Stoyanov did not elaborate further.
In Bezmer, a village of about 1,000 people that sits beside the base, Bulgarian military aircraft have long been part of the landscape. Many residents work at the base, according to Rosen Rusev, the mayor, and the sound of aircraft overhead is routine. But in late July, the Bulgarian government proposed – and Parliament approved – the deployment of as many as eight US Air Force Stratotankers and up to 250 personnel.
Within two days, residents of Bezmer and nearby villages had collected more than 3,000 signatures against the deployment and held peaceful protests. They did not want their village to become part of the war on Iran. Rusev said a buzzy atmosphere took hold of Bezmer on Friday, when residents realised the tankers had left.
Stoyanov said military intelligence had identified no threat to national security, the US aircraft or other facilities in Bulgaria. A United Kingdom assessment requested by the government had reportedly judged the risk as extremely low. But reassurances did little to calm everyone.
With temperatures soaring to about 30 degrees Celsius (86F), two friends, Dinka Todorova, 67, and Ganka Vlaeva, 78, sat in plastic chairs in the shade. Both have children who work at the airbase. Not everyone in Bezmer shared that concern.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
