Slavcho Velkov: We are on the eve of war

The eyes of the whole world are directed towards the Middle East. What will be the scale of the escalation of tensions between Lebanon, Iran and Israel and how will this affect global security?

According to international security expert Slavcho Velkov, an escalation of tensions and a full-scale war in the region can be expected.

"What is happening now - the escalation of tension, the launching of missile airstrikes, the crossing of a state border by armed forces, the launching of missile strikes in response. We are on the eve of war and we cannot expect a de-escalation of tensions. On the contrary, the escalation will intensify, he believes.

However, the co-chairman of the Atlantic Council in Bulgaria, Ivan Anchev, disagreed with this finding and commented that there is no way to have a united Arab response to Israel.

"The very reaction of the leading Sunni states - Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and the UAE, Bahrain - was too restrained, even none, regarding the elimination of Nasrallah. I don't think there will be any common Islamic front against Israel. At the very least, Israel has reached strategic cooperation agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. He was on the verge of establishing a similar agreement with Saudi Arabia, which was stopped by this barbaric act, which was on October 7, 2023 and the war in the Middle East, he told bTV.

Slavcho Velkov emphasized that it is quite possible that we are at risk of a wave of migrants, with which it is possible for radical units to enter Europe.

At the National Security Advisory Council yesterday under President Rumen Radev in connection with the tension in the Middle East, it became clear that there is no direct threat to Bulgaria, but there are risks.

The new escalation of the conflict in the Middle East was reached after the assassination of the leader of "Hezbollah" Hassan Nasrallah. On September 27, Israel struck the movement's central headquarters in Beirut. News of Nasrallah's death was announced on September 29.

On September 30, Israel announced its intentions to launch a ground operation against the group's bases in southern Lebanon. The first attacks were carried out in the morning hours of October 1. A reaction from Iran followed. Hours later, Tehran fired nearly 200 rockets at Israel, and Tel Aviv threatened to respond.

Actions by individual states and groups in the region have failed to break the cycle of attacks and subsequent reprisals amid calls for de-escalation and a ceasefire.