The Bulgarian parliament on Wednesday approved allowing the US military to use an air base in southeastern Bulgaria to support its operations in the Middle East, after the government downplayed a warning from Tehran that hosting US refueling aircraft would constitute participation in attacks on Iranian territory.

Lawmakers approved the government proposal with 136 votes in favor, 13 against, and two abstentions, allowing the deployment of up to eight US KC-135 aircraft, along with about 250 military personnel and support equipment, at Bezmer Air Base from Friday until October 1.

The decision requires no further approvals, as the parliament ratified it under a defense agreement signed by Sofia and Washington in 2006, which stipulates joint use of Bezmer base, located about 260 kilometers southeast of the Bulgarian capital.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said before the vote that it is 'completely unlikely' that military operations in the Middle East would be launched from Bulgarian territory, stressing that the aircraft would be used exclusively for logistical missions, according to Reuters.

Radev added during a government meeting that the refueling aircraft would operate outside Bulgarian airspace, in an attempt to allay concerns about the country's involvement in the escalating confrontation between the United States and Iran.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev at the Élysée Palace on July 13 last year (Reuters)

Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov told parliament that the authorities have taken the necessary measures, at the national level and within NATO, to ensure that Bulgaria is not drawn into any conflict.

The deployment came at the request of the US embassy in Sofia, while there was no immediate comment from the US side on the nature of the missions the aircraft would support or the scope of their operations in the region.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei had warned Bulgaria on Tuesday against allowing its territory to be used in military operations against Iran, saying that any activity facilitating US attacks would be considered complicity in what he described as 'aggression and war crimes'.

Baghaei urged Sofia to avoid becoming a 'partner of aggressors and lawbreakers,' after the Bulgarian government announced its intention to seek parliamentary approval to host US aircraft.

The Associated Press quoted Bulgarian officials as saying the aircraft's mission was limited to logistical support and aerial refueling outside Bulgarian airspace, while the US agency said some lawmakers had raised concerns about dragging the country into war with Iran.

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KC-135 aircraft are used to refuel fighters, bombers, and other military aircraft in flight, allowing them to stay airborne longer and conduct long-range operations.

The Bulgarian approval comes at a time when the administration of US President Donald Trump faces reservations from some European countries over the use of their bases to support military operations in the Middle East.

The confrontation between the United States and Iran has escalated since the collapse of a temporary ceasefire agreement reached last month, with both sides intensifying their attacks and growing fears of a return to full-scale war.

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