site.btaFull-scale War in Middle East Would Be Worst-case Scenario, Defence Minister Zapryanov Says

A full-scale war in the Middle East would be the worst-case scenario, said caretaker Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov speaking to journalists at the Council of Ministers here on Wednesday.

"In case of an escalation, we have to take into account  that refugee flows will increase. In addition, there will be the possibility of terrorist acts by Islamist organisations in European countries. We should take measures and check our security here at home," Zapryanov said, commenting the rising tensions and escalation of the situation in the Middle East. 

Asked whether a full-scale war is possible, Minister Zapryanov answered positively and stressed that this could happen if the UN Security Council and the major countries do not prevent the escalation between Iran and Israel.

Asked whether a positive outcome could be achieved diplomatically, the Defence Minister commented: "My assessment is that we are already teetering on the brink. If Israel responds directly to targets in Iran, it would mean hostilities between two countries, which is an escalation."

Referring to the convening of the Consultative Council on National Security under the Bulgarian President, Minister Zapryanov pointed out that there will certainly be tasks for the Government to accomplish. On the evacuation of Bulgarian citizens from Lebanon, who were picked up by two flights on a government plane, Minister Zapryanov stressed that the institutions acted quickly and preventively. 

"The State should be prepared for the worst-case scenario. The security and defence authorities must have specific tasks that we must prepare. I hope and call for not ending up with a full-scale war in the Middle East," the caretaker Defence Minister added.