Iran closes airspace for Bulgaria PM’s jet coming to Kingdom

LONDON: Iran closed its airspace to a plane taking a high-ranking Bulgarian delegation to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night.

On Wednesday, the Iranian ambassador in Sofia was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

But the Iranian diplomat denied any ill will, blaming the airspace closure on a “technical” glitch.

“The accident was a matter of a technical issue,” a spokesman for Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Arab News. “Iran and Bulgaria retain very good relations. There is nothing political or diplomatic about the incident.”

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov was onboard the flight, which later landed in Saudi Arabia, after being forced to divert to a different airport than scheduled, according to The Bulgarian News Agency, the nation’s official press outlet.

The Iranian authorities were “not aware” that the Prime Minister was onboard and demanded that the plane exit Iranian airspace after they “detected a slight deviation from the approved route,” according to the Bulgarian News Agency.

The flight was forced to turn back toward Turkey and re-route through Iraqi airspace.

Borrisov’s visit, which included a meeting with King Salman on Wednesday, marks the first time a Bulgarian Prime Minister has visited Saudi Arabia on an official visit.

The visit to Saudi Arabia is intended to strengthen bilateral cooperation.