There is no direct military threat to Bulgaria following the US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said at a press conference. Earlier, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov had convened the Council of Ministers to assess the situation in the Middle East.

According to Mr Zapryanov, radiation levels in Bulgaria are monitored every four hours. 'We have not detected any changes, so there is no cause for concern,' he said.

'We hope that the preventive strike against Iran's nuclear facilities will prompt Iran to reconsider its behaviour and lead to a diplomatic solution regarding its refusal to abandon its nuclear weapons programme. Bulgaria is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and we would like Iran to abandon its nuclear programme and reach a peaceful resolution.”