Bulgaria and Iran have maintained diplomatic relations since 1897, although those relations were interrupted during the Second World War and restored in 1961. The relationship developed through periods of cooperation during the Cold War, after Iran’s 1979 revolution and in the post-Cold War era. As of September 2026, diplomatic channels remain open, but bilateral ties are being tested by Bulgaria’s NATO alignment and its cooperation with the United States during the current conflict involving Iran.
The central issue today is not a bilateral territorial dispute between Sofia and Tehran. It is Bulgaria’s position as an EU and NATO member during a major regional military crisis. Iran has objected to U.S. military activity involving Bulgarian facilities, while Bulgaria has maintained that it is not participating in combat operations. At the same time, Bulgarian and Iranian officials have continued direct diplomatic contact, including a foreign-minister-level conversation in July 2026.
Bulgaria and Iran at a glance
| Issue | Current position in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic relations | Established in 1897; interrupted in 1941 and restored in 1961 |
| Bulgaria | President Iliana Iotova; Prime Minister Rumen Radev |
| Iran | Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei; President Masoud Pezeshkian |
| Diplomatic channel | Remains open; Bulgarian and Iranian officials continued bilateral dialogue in 2026 |
| Main current dispute | Iran’s objections to U.S. military aircraft and personnel operating from Bulgarian facilities |
| Bulgaria’s stated position | Bulgaria says it is not participating in the war and has opposed Iranian attacks on Gulf states |
| Economic relationship | Bilateral goods trade exists but remains relatively limited compared with Bulgaria’s major trading partners |
| EU dimension | Bulgaria’s Iran policy also operates within EU restrictive-measures and foreign-policy frameworks |
A relationship that began in the 19th century
Bulgaria and Iran trace their formal diplomatic relationship to 1897. Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry identifies 15 November 1897, when an Iranian diplomat’s agrément was granted by the Bulgarian government, as the date associated with the establishment of diplomatic relations.
The relationship did not remain uninterrupted. Iran severed diplomatic relations with Bulgaria on 17 September 1941, during the Second World War. Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry says the break occurred in the context of the Soviet and British military presence in Iran. Diplomatic relations were restored on 19 December 1961.
Bulgaria subsequently opened its legation in Tehran in 1963, upgraded it to an embassy the following year and began sending an ambassador in 1968. Iran established a resident diplomatic mission in Sofia in 1972.
Cold War contacts continued despite political differences
The two countries developed relatively active contacts during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry records high-level visits and ministerial exchanges during those decades. The relationship therefore survived the sharp ideological divide between communist Bulgaria and the political system of Iran under the Shah and, after 1979, the Islamic Republic.
One notable historical point came after the Iranian Revolution. Bulgaria was among the early states to recognize the Islamic Republic; its Foreign Ministry describes Bulgaria as the fourth country to recognize it in 1979. Diplomatic and ministerial contacts continued during the 1980s.
By the 1990s and 2000s, the relationship increasingly included commercial, cultural and tourism contacts alongside political dialogue.
Trade and economic ties
Economic relations have been part of the relationship for decades, although they are not large enough to make Iran one of Bulgaria’s principal trading partners.
Bulgaria’s National Statistical Institute recorded approximately €263.1 million in Bulgarian exports to Iran and €119.4 million in imports from Iran in 2025, based on preliminary foreign-trade data. That represented a decline in Bulgarian exports compared with 2024, while imports were broadly stable.
The available 2026 data indicate that trade remained comparatively modest. For July 2026, Bulgarian goods exports to Iran were reported at €60.0 million, while imports were €42.4 million for the corresponding reporting period in the National Statistical Institute’s preliminary data.
The economic relationship has historically covered areas including trade, tourism, agriculture, energy and private-sector cooperation. In 2018, Bulgarian and Iranian foreign ministers specifically discussed expanding trade, private-sector contacts, tourism and potential energy projects.
The scale of present-day trade matters for understanding the relationship: Bulgaria and Iran have established economic connections, but bilateral commerce is not the principal factor determining Sofia’s current Iran policy.
The Burgas bombing changed the security dimension
A major turning point came with the 18 July 2012 bombing at Burgas Airport, in which Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian bus driver were killed.
The subsequent Bulgarian investigation became a major issue in Bulgaria’s relations with Iran because Bulgarian authorities attributed involvement in the attack to Hezbollah. That finding should be stated precisely: it was a conclusion about Hezbollah involvement, not a Bulgarian finding that the Iranian government itself carried out the bombing.
The episode brought counterterrorism and regional security much more prominently into Bulgaria’s relationship with Iran, alongside the existing diplomatic and economic agenda.
Bulgaria’s relationship with Iran after 2015
The 2010s also produced periods of renewed diplomatic and economic engagement. Bulgarian and Iranian officials continued discussing trade, tourism, energy and political cooperation, even while Bulgaria operated within the wider European position on Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions.
Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry has continued to describe the bilateral relationship as longstanding and has emphasized maintaining communication. In June 2026, Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Hristo Polendakov met Iran’s ambassador in Sofia as part of the regular bilateral dialogue.
That pattern is significant: disagreements over security policy have not automatically resulted in the termination of diplomatic contacts.
Who leads Bulgaria and Iran in 2026?
Bulgaria’s political leadership changed substantially in 2026. Iliana Iotova became president on 23 January 2026, following Rumen Radev’s resignation from the presidency. Radev subsequently became prime minister on 8 May 2026.
Iran also underwent a major leadership change in 2026. Mojtaba Khamenei became Supreme Leader on 8 March 2026, succeeding his father, Ali Khamenei. Masoud Pezeshkian remains president, while Abbas Araghchi serves as foreign minister.
The distinction between the Iranian president and Supreme Leader is particularly important when interpreting Iranian foreign policy. The Supreme Leader occupies the country’s highest political authority, while the president heads the executive government. Consequently, statements by the Iranian president or foreign minister should not automatically be treated as equivalent to decisions of the Supreme Leader.
The 2026 crisis: where Bulgaria and Iran now disagree
The most important development in bilateral relations in 2026 concerns the wider war involving Iran and the use of Bulgarian territory and facilities by the United States.
Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry said in February that the country was not participating in the military actions involving the United States and Israel against Iran. It also established a crisis task force to monitor the situation and protect Bulgarian citizens in the region.
In March, Bulgaria publicly condemned Iranian attacks against countries in the Gulf and called for freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Sofia also said that ending the escalation and protecting energy and economic security were priorities.
Iran, meanwhile, raised concerns directly with Bulgarian officials about U.S. aircraft stationed in Bulgaria.
The Bezmer dispute
In July, Bulgaria’s parliament approved the temporary stationing of up to eight U.S. KC-135 tanker aircraft and approximately 250 U.S. personnel at Bezmer military base. The approved arrangement was scheduled to run from 24 July to 1 October 2026. Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said the aircraft would not carry offensive weapons and that Bulgaria would not participate in military actions.
Iran objected to the decision.
On 30 July, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi pressed European counterparts over the use of European facilities for U.S. operations and specifically called on Bulgaria to reconsider its decision concerning the KC-135 aircraft at Bezmer.
The dispute illustrates the fundamental difference between the two governments’ positions. Bulgaria views its actions through its commitments as a NATO member and its relationship with the United States. Iran views foreign military support being provided from European territory through the lens of its conflict with Washington.
Neither position should be confused with a formal rupture in Bulgaria–Iran diplomatic relations.
Diplomacy has continued despite the disagreement
The continued diplomatic channel is one of the clearest facts about the relationship in 2026.
On 30 July 2026, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova spoke by telephone with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. According to Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry, Petrova stressed the importance Bulgaria places on its longstanding relations with Iran, while both ministers expressed readiness to continue and develop bilateral dialogue.
Earlier, on 6 April, Bulgarian and Iranian officials also held bilateral talks. Iran raised the issue of American aircraft, while Bulgaria reiterated that it was not participating in the war and said the aircraft were not being used for combat operations. Both sides expressed an intention to keep communication channels open.
This distinction is important. A serious disagreement over military activity does not currently amount to a diplomatic break.
Bulgaria’s EU position also matters
Bulgaria’s policy toward Iran cannot be considered independently of its membership in the European Union.
The EU continued restrictive measures concerning Iran during 2026. On 24 July, the Council of the EU adopted amendments maintaining restrictive measures against persons and entities associated with Iran’s military support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, armed groups and entities in the Middle East and Red Sea region, and actions affecting freedom of navigation.
The EU also adopted additional sanctions against six Iranian individuals over serious human-rights violations in July 2026.
These EU-level measures form part of the broader policy environment in which Bulgaria conducts its bilateral relationship with Tehran.
What the relationship looks like now
The current Bulgaria–Iran relationship is best understood as continued diplomacy alongside a sharp security disagreement.
The historical relationship provides the diplomatic foundation: nearly 130 years since its establishment, with a wartime interruption and restoration in 1961. Economic, cultural and political contacts have persisted through major changes in both countries’ political systems.
The present relationship is different in one important respect. Bulgaria’s position within NATO and the EU places it much closer institutionally to the United States and European governments that have taken increasingly critical positions toward Iran. The 2026 dispute over U.S. military aircraft has therefore exposed a structural tension that ordinary commercial and cultural cooperation cannot resolve on its own.
For now, however, the evidence points to managed disagreement rather than a diplomatic rupture. Bulgaria continues to communicate directly with Tehran, while maintaining its NATO and EU commitments and publicly opposing Iranian attacks in the Gulf. Iran continues to object to Bulgaria’s role in facilitating U.S. military activity, while its officials continue using established diplomatic channels with Sofia.
The most important issue to watch is therefore not whether Bulgaria and Iran have diplomatic relations—they do—but whether the military relationship between Bulgaria, the United States and NATO creates further points of conflict with Tehran while the two governments attempt to preserve their bilateral diplomatic channel. As of 16 September 2026, that tension remains unresolved, but there is no verified evidence of a break in Bulgaria–Iran diplomatic relations.