Prime Minister Rumen Radev had a telephone conversation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in connection with the article published by the "Financial Times" on Wednesday. In it, the publication wrote that Iran is considering strikes in Europe if Donald Trump escalates the war. Bulgaria is also mentioned as a potential target. However, the authorities in our country denied that there is a danger to the country's national security.
The two discussed the security environment in Europe with an emphasis on the possible risk of aggressive actions by Iran, according to allegations in foreign media. Rutte personally confirmed the full support and readiness of NATO's defense forces and assets in the region to react and neutralize any threat to the Alliance's member states. The readiness for reliable defense was also proven with the recent successful interception of ballistic missiles towards Turkey. Any attack on a NATO member state will be treated categorically as an attack on the Alliance with all the actions arising from the North Atlantic Treaty, Rutte recalled.
The article also mentions our country because of the American military aircraft that are located at the military base “Bezmer”. There are two of them, but in recent weeks the authorities have stated several times that the only thing they are doing is training and that our country is in no way participating in the conflict between the US and Iran.
According to two unnamed sources close to the Iranian regime, referred to by the British daily “Financial Times”, it is possible that Iran may strike American bases in Europe in response to a possible new escalation.
A response from the Bulgarian institutions follows. Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov commented that he is not guided by newspaper articles, but by documents he receives in our services. After the information was disseminated, a reaction also followed from NATO. In a response to “Reuters” from the Alliance they stated that they are ready to react to any threat and will take all necessary actions to protect NATO countries.