Iran urges Bulgaria not to allow US use of air base for strikes

Iran has urged Bulgaria not to allow the United States to use its air base for military operations against Tehran, expressing protest over the possible deployment of the facility for strikes, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

The statement came during a telephone conversation between Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Bulgarian counterpart Velislava Petrova-Chamova, during which the sides discussed the regional situation, Caliber.Az reports.

“The Bulgarian government’s approval of the US request to deploy American military aircraft at Bezmer Air Base in order to support military operations is, in our view, condemnable, unacceptable, and contrary to the traditional friendly relations between the two countries. The Bulgarian government should immediately reconsider this decision," the ministry's statement read.

During the conversation, Araghchi stated that allowing one state’s territory to be used by another state for an act of aggression against a third party constitutes an act of aggression.

Certainly, any party that in any way participates in carrying out a military attack against Iran must assume responsibility for the consequences, the minister added.

For its part, the Bulgarian side recalled the history of good relations between the two countries and said that Bulgaria does not intend to participate in a war, while emphasising its support for diplomacy and efforts to reduce tensions in the region.

By Jeyhun Aghazada