Two U.S. tanker aircraft have departed Bulgaria’s Bezmer air base, bringing an end to their contentious deployment. The move comes nearly a month after tensions flared with Iran, which accused the U.S. and Bulgaria of complicity in ‘aggression and war crimes.’
Bulgaria’s Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov confirmed the aircraft’s departure on Saturday, explaining that all flights were mere training missions undertaken with allied nations, and there were no direct threats to Bulgarian security.
Despite protests from locals fearing potential attacks, Stoyanov maintained that Bulgaria worked in full coordination with U.S. authorities, ensuring all decisions were well-founded and risks well-assessed.
(With inputs from agencies.)