Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on Bulgaria to reconsider its decision allowing the temporary deployment of American military aircraft at the "Bezmer" air base. This was reported by Iranian state media, quoted by Reuters.
During a telephone conversation with his Bulgarian counterpart Velislava Petrova-Chamova, he stated that Sofia's approval of the US to deploy military aircraft at the base in support of military operations facilitates aggression against Iran.
And Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova assured him that no military action against Tehran would be conducted from the territory of our country.
„The manner in which this telephone conversation was conducted was actually meaningless and useless from a diplomatic point of view, because it did not achieve its goals. And they are a confirmation of the good diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and Iran, a reduction in the tension that has existed between the countries for several months, and a softening of Iran's position towards Bulgaria“.
This was commented on bTV by former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Milen Keremedchiev.
“So this conversation ultimately reinforced Iran's aggressive behavior towards Bulgaria, which began with the first note sent when American planes were based at Sofia Airport, and continued in the same spirit.
“There is no change in Iran's position, there is no escalation, which is perhaps the good news. Iran is reinforcing its position, which it has repeatedly expressed both in official notes and in official messages from the Iranian spokesman and foreign minister”, the expert pointed out.
„As for our point of view, I believe that Bulgaria should have had a much firmer position, explaining that the country is part of NATO and the European Union. As well as that for more than two decades it has commitments that it fulfills and pursues a sovereign policy, which this government states that it wishes to pursue. So my criticisms are more towards the way the telephone conversation was conducted on the Bulgarian side than towards the Iranian side“, Keremedchiev commented.
„In my opinion, there is no escalation. Of course, there are indirect dangers that must be taken into account. It has been stated many times, and I agree with this opinion, that there is no danger of a direct missile threat against the territory of Bulgaria. But Iran has many ways to exert pressure. One, as we can already see, is to instill tension in society through constant diplomatic notes and statements in order to create social tension and thus put pressure on the government“, he pointed out.
„Iran is also known for its hacker attacks against administrative institutions, so attention should be increased here. We should not rule out the activation or self-activation of terrorist cells, such as those found throughout Europe. Let us not forget what happened years ago in Burgas. So there is increased tension, but the government itself must very actively calm the population“, noted the former deputy minister.
According to him, such diplomatic pressure is exerted not only on Bulgaria, but also on other countries.
„There was a conversation between the Cypriot and Iranian foreign ministers, as well as a much sharper official warning from Iran to Great Britain, from whose territory planes take off, participating in operations against Iran.
The response of these two countries was quite different from that of Bulgaria. Instead of entering into an explanatory mode, they emphasized that the sovereignty of their territory is guaranteed both independently and jointly with other countries – NATO members“, commented Keremedchiev.
“In my opinion, this should be the official Bulgarian position, since currently there are indirect threats made to Bulgaria by Iran“, he said.
According to him, there should also be a much stronger information campaign.
“Yes, there was a visit by the Minister of Defense and the Minister who is from the region, as well as meetings with citizens. Specific topics were raised, which were promised to be implemented. The faster citizens see real results, that is, a real increase in security in and around the airport, the more they will be convinced that measures are being taken to guarantee safety“, said the expert.
„Bulgaria continues to be part of the NATO air shield, which also protects our territory. We saw that it was effective at the beginning of the military conflict, when missiles launched from the territory of Iran and Iraq towards Turkey and Cyprus were intercepted. So the government's work is mainly with local structures to reduce social tension, which is currently intensifying“, said Keremedchiev.
According to him, the situation in the Middle East is worsening and the conflict is growing. The fact that Ukraine, according to Iran, is now also involved in the conflict expands its scope.
„What is also very worrying is what is happening with the Houthis and in the area of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, through which over 30% of container shipments from Asia to Europe pass. "So in addition to an energy crisis, at some point we could also find ourselves facing a global trade crisis, which could put European economies, already hampered by tough competition and a lack of energy resources, under even greater pressure," he commented.