The Bulgarian village that fears becoming an Iranian target

What the report says

Residents of Bezmer, a village in southeastern Bulgaria beside a military airbase, spent weeks anxious that their town could be drawn into the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran after Bulgaria approved the temporary deployment of up to eight US Air Force refuelling planes and as many as 250 personnel. The local reaction included petitions with more than 3,000 signatures and peaceful protests, while some villagers said they feared the base could become a target if Iran retaliated. The article says the US aircraft later departed, bringing relief to many residents, and Bulgarian officials said the mission had ended for now.

Al Jazeera reported that the government sought to reassure the public, saying military intelligence saw no threat to national security and that an external assessment had judged the risk very low. Still, tensions lingered in Bezmer, where some residents work at the base and others worried about being caught in wider geopolitical disputes. The village’s mayor said people mainly wanted clear information and safety guarantees, not confrontation with the state.

The piece also highlights disagreement within the village. Some residents dismissed the danger as exaggerated, while others described fear, frustration with politicians, and concern that social media speculation had intensified panic. Iran’s foreign ministry, meanwhile, said it reserved the right to respond to actions it viewed as supporting military aggression. More broadly, the report notes that analysts differ on whether Iran has both the capability and intent to strike Bulgaria, but the episode has already left a mark on local anxieties.