Inside the Bulgarian Village That Feared Becoming an Iranian Target Over US Military Presence

Protesters gathered close to Bezmer Air Base near Yambol, Bulgaria, holding signs opposing the United States on July 24, 2026. Relief washed over nearby villagers when news arrived that two United States Air Force (USAF) refuelling aircraft had departed Bulgaria's Bezmer airbase. Dimitar Stoyanov, the country’s defence minister, announced that the USAF air tankers had taken off and left Bulgaria, while President Iliana Yotova declared the mission over for now. The US Air Force explained that the Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers, meant to support Washington’s war on Iran, left to handle other operational requirements.

For weeks, the village worried the aircraft would turn their area in southeastern Bulgaria into an Iranian target. Tehran had previously warned Bulgaria against letting its territory support military operations by the US and Israel against Iran. Citing unnamed Iranian sources, the Financial Times reported that if Washington escalated tensions, Iranian forces considered striking US assets in southeastern European countries like Bulgaria after Sofia approved the use of the Bezmer airbase for US refuelling planes.

Although the planes departed, geopolitical tensions and lingering fears of being drawn into the US-Israel war on Iran remain. Stoyanov stated that Iran carried out an effective hybrid operation with help from opposition politicians, predicting that the hybrid operation would continue, though he did not elaborate.

In Bezmer, a village of about 1,000 residents situated next to the base, Bulgarian military aircraft are a familiar sight. According to Rosen Rusev, the mayor, many residents work at the base, and the sound of overhead aircraft is routine. However, after the Bulgarian government proposed and Parliament approved deploying up to eight US Air Force Stratotankers and 250 personnel in late July, residents quickly collected over 3,000 signatures against the deployment and held peaceful protests to avoid becoming part of the war on Iran.

Rusev noted that a buzzy atmosphere filled Bezmer when residents realized the tankers had left, feeling their voices were finally heard just as they wanted. While Stoyanov assured that military intelligence found no threat to national security, and a UK assessment deemed the risk extremely low, reassurances failed to calm everyone.

Locals like Dinka Todorova and Ganka Vlaeva expressed deep anxiety about being the first target, while others, such as 33-year-old Ivan, dismissed the panic as groundless. Meanwhile, community members like Antoniya Ivanova organized activities to help children cope with the stress, projecting animated films onto a white sheet hung over an aerial photograph of Bezmer.

Rusev spent days navigating between the villagers' fears and official statements, emphasizing that the protests were not meant to bring down the government, but rather to seek adequate safety guarantees and information. While some analysts argue Iran lacks the capability or will for missile attacks against continental Europe, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Tehran reserves the right to counter actions supporting US and Israeli military aggression against it.