Protesters gathered outside Bulgaria's Bezmer Air Base near Yambol on Friday to oppose the temporary deployment of up to eight U.S. KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft and 250 American military personnel amid escalating regional tensions involving Iran. Demonstrators waving national flags and carrying placards reading "Not our war" expressed fears that harboring U.S. assets could turn local communities into military targets, following warnings from Tehran that any assistance facilitating U.S. operations would be viewed as complicity. Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov defended the parliamentary-approved decision as a "difficult but necessary" step to honor alliance commitments with strategic partners and guarantee national airspace, while government officials reiterated that U.S. aircraft will strictly conduct non-combat logistical support outside Bulgarian airspace.
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