Two US Air Force KC-135 refuelling aircraft have left Bulgaria following a temporary deployment to the country that drew strong criticism from Iran.
The aircraft departed Bezmer Air Base in southeastern Bulgaria on Friday after carrying out training flights during their deployment, Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said, according to the Bulgarian News Agency.
The US Air Force confirmed the departure, saying the Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers had left Bulgaria to support “other operational requirements”.
“US military aircraft routinely transit and are hosted by Allied and partner nations, including in Bulgaria, in accordance with access, basing, and overflight agreements,” a US Air Force spokesperson told The Hill.
The spokesperson also thanked Bulgaria for its support and said Washington remained committed to cooperation on regional security and collective defence.
The temporary deployment had been sharply criticised by Iran, which accused Bulgaria of becoming complicit in what it described as “aggression and war crimes”.
Bulgaria’s Parliament approved the deployment of US aircraft and military personnel to Bezmer Air Base on July 22 in support of the US military’s Operation Epic Fury. The deployment was initially authorised from July 24 through the end of September.
Bezmer Air Base, located about 150 miles southwest of Sofia, is a joint-use facility. Any new US military use of the base requires approval from the Bulgarian Parliament.
The latest departure comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, with the US maintaining military and economic pressure on Iran.