The information from “Financial Times“ that Iran has assessed possibilities for strikes on American military sites on Bulgarian territory is a serious signal. It does not prove an imminent strike, but it demands an immediate and clear reaction from the Bulgarian government and shatters the comfortable complacency that there is no direct threat to Bulgaria.
This is what the GERB political party wrote on its Facebook page regarding the information of the British newspaper “Financial Times“ that “Iranian forces are assessing the possibilities of strikes on American assets in Southeast Europe, for example in Bulgaria, which last month approved the use of its Bezmer airbase for refueling American aircraft“. Here is what GERB further stated:
"The complex geographical position of our country has always required a reasonable, active and predictable policy to protect the national interest. In conditions of severe armed conflicts, security is not guaranteed with slogans, but with active diplomacy, reliable alliances, good intelligence assessment and real readiness of the institutions.
When he was president, Rumen Radev warned of a direct threat to Bulgaria. When he became prime minister, the same risk began to be presented as a matter of “logistics“. National security cannot be exaggerated before elections and downplayed after them.
Even when the cabinet asked the National Assembly for permission to deploy tanker aircraft in connection with the conflict in the Middle East, GERB insisted on a full risk assessment and guarantees for the security of citizens, servicemen and military facilities. Today, the public has the right to know whether this assessment was adequate and whether it has been updated.
We insist that the government inform the National Assembly about the real level of the threat, when Bulgarian services received information about possible Iranian scenarios and what specific measures have been taken. The assessment should cover not only missiles and drones, but also terrorist and proxy actions, cyberattacks and sabotage.
The government should also say what guarantees and defense capabilities are provided in coordination with the US and NATO, as well as confirm that the use of Bulgarian territory remains solely within the framework of the mandate approved by the National Assembly.
We insist that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summon the Iranian ambassador and demand an official explanation from Tehran whether it considers Bulgarian territory, citizens or infrastructure as possible targets. Bulgaria has nothing to justify its decisions as a sovereign state and a member of NATO.
GERB will not want Bulgaria to back down from its alliance commitments under threat. But we will not accept the cabinet hiding behind NATO, without explaining what it has agreed to, what guarantees it has received and how it will protect Bulgarian citizens.
Bulgaria should neither succumb to threats nor enter unprepared into risks. Our alliances are a strategic choice. The security of Bulgarian citizens is an unconditional obligation of the state.