Defence Minister: Missile launch towards NATO member 'dangerous escalation'

Bulgaria’s caretaker Defence Minister, Atanas Zapryanov, has warned that a ballistic missile launch from Iran towards Turkey represents a "dangerous escalation" for the region. The Minister confirmed on Wednesday that the missile was successfully intercepted and destroyed by Alliance forces.

Speaking at a briefing following a meeting with senior military leadership, Zapryanov stated that the Iranian authorities appeared to be disregarding which countries were actively participating in military operations and which were not.

In light of the incident, Bulgarian officials have discussed raising the readiness levels of the nation’s air defence units. Zapryanov noted that a formal risk analysis is being prepared for the Prime Minister ahead of an urgent meeting of the government’s Security Council.

Editor: Miglena Ivanova