Iran Warns Bulgaria over Deployment of US Aircraft on Its Territory

Iran has warned Bulgaria not to allow the United States to use its territory for military operations against Iran. A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on July 21 that any activity facilitating US attacks against Iran would amount to complicity in what he described as "aggression and war crimes".

Against this backdrop, the exchange of strikes between Washington and Tehran continued for the tenth consecutive day. An Iranian delegation arrived in Pakistan for talks with mediators following a proposal for a 10-day ceasefire.

• Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry Receives Diplomatic Note from Iranian Embassy over Possible Deployment of US Refuelling Aircraft at Bezmer Air Base

Bulgaria must be careful not to fall into the trap of aggressors and lawbreakers by becoming their accomplice, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in comments to Iran’s state news agency IRNA regarding the US request to deploy military aircraft in Bulgaria.

Referring to the relations based on mutual respect between Tehran and Sofia, the spokesperson warned:

Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry: The Bulgarian Parliament should not let the country turn into an accomplice of aggressors and criminals by granting the United States permission to use the country’s territory and facilities."

The situation in the Middle East remains unstable. Mediators have proposed a 10-day ceasefire in an attempt to save the agreement reached between Washington and Tehran on 17 June. A closed-door meeting between senior Iranian and Pakistani officials was held in Islamabad.

Despite hopes for de-escalation, US strikes on Iranian military sites continued for the tenth consecutive night. In response, Iran attacked two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and targets in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.

Nearly 100 US military personnel have been injured in the Middle East following the renewed exchange of strikes over the past two weeks. The Pentagon confirmed the figures hours after two US service members were identified as having been killed in an attack on an air base in Jordan on Friday.

The US State Department issued a warning about increased security risks.

"Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for possible flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions," the US State Department said.

Amid threats from Yemen’s Houthi movement — one of Tehran’s regional proxies — to impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, where the other strategic strait, Bab el-Mandeb, is located, Donald Trump said the United States would intervene if necessary.