Why Iran is threatening Europe’s ‘strategically important’ southeast

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Iran has signaled it could extend its response to the United States and Israel’s war on Iran beyond the Middle East, including by threatening Bulgaria and other parts of southeastern Europe. The article says the warning is tied in part to Bulgaria’s Bezmer Air Base, which parliament approved in July for use in refuelling US military aircraft supporting operations in the Middle East. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reportedly told his Bulgarian counterpart that countries helping what Tehran calls US “aggression” could become legitimate targets.

The piece argues that southeastern Europe may matter because it contains NATO facilities, supply routes linked to Ukraine and access to the Black Sea. It quotes analysts who say Bulgaria and its neighbors could be exposed if Tehran wanted to raise the cost of cooperation with Washington or pressure Europe to distance itself from the US campaign.

At the same time, the report stresses that an actual strike on a European NATO or EU member would carry major risks for Iran. Such an attack could trigger NATO consultations, deepen Europe’s involvement, and hand Washington a broader coalition. The article also notes that Iran may see its threats as targeting US assets on European soil rather than Europe itself, though this distinction is disputed. Overall, the report frames the risk as real but uncertain, with the longer-term danger to Europe potentially coming more from a prolonged US-Iran conflict than from missile attacks alone.