February 28, 2026

US and Israel launch attack on Iran./ Romanian foreign ministry says it is ready to repatriate Romanian citizens from Israel./ National Bank expects inflation rate in the next few months to go up more than initially forecast./ Save Romania Union Congress under way in Sibiu.

Newsroom, 28.02.2026, 14:01

Iran attack. Israel launched what it called a preemptive strike on Iran on Saturday morning. International media reported that several loud explosions were heard in Tehran. Iran had threatened that if attacked by the Americans, its response would target not only them, but also Israel, with whom it fought a 12-day war last summer. The United States also intervened in the conflict at that time, bombing Iranian nuclear targets. The US wants severe restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic programs, but the latest round of negotiations ended on Friday without the parties reaching an agreement. On Friday evening, US President Donald Trump said he was disappointed with the results of the talks, and today he announced that the US military had joined the Israeli attacks and had begun “major combat operations in Iran” to eliminate “imminent threats from the Iranian regime.” He vowed to destroy Tehran’s missile capabilities and its naval forces and insisted that Iran “will never have a nuclear weapon”. The Iranian leadership responded with a stern warning to the attacks on its territory and launched missiles against Israel and US bases in Qatar, Bahrein, Kuweit and the United Arab Emirates.

Repatriation. The Romanian foreign ministry said it approved the voluntary repatriation of non-essential personnel and their family members from the Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv, the Romanian Consulate General in Haifa, and the Romanian Representative Office in Ramallah. The ministry says it will continue to monitor the security situation in the region and is ready to provide consular protection to Romanian citizens. Foreign minister Oana Ţoiu said the number of Romanian citizens requesting repatriation from Israel is for the time being small. In a TV comment, she recommended that Romanian citizens stay in shelters and not travel closer than one kilometer to border areas. Due to the situation in the Middle East, the Romanian airline company TAROM announced that it is temporarily suspending all flights to and from Tel Aviv until March 3. In addition, several international airlines, including Air France, KLM, Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, have cancelled their flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut and Oman.

Inflation. The National Bank of Romania said that the inflation rate would go up more than expected in April, May and June. According to the central bank, inflation would rise to approximately 10% in June and then fall to 4 percent in December. The National Bank expects the inflation rate to fall to 2.9% at the end of 2027. Economic activity is showing slight signs of recovery, but it comes with new price hikes, according to the periodic survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics among company management. Prices are also expected to go up for both industrial products and construction works. Higher charges are also expected in the services sector. In terms of the number of employees, managers are cautious, with only those in retail expecting a slight increase. On the other hand, managers of companies in services and construction expect relative stability in terms of the number of employees in the next 3 months, while those in the manufacturing industry speak of a slight decrease.

Congress. The Congress of the Save Romania Union, which forms part of the ruling coalition alongside the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, is under way in Sibiu (center). Delegates are debating proposals to amend the party’s statutes, including limiting the terms of local elected officials, the party’s MPs and MEPs to a maximum of two. They are also discussing penalties for members who do not attend party meetings without a justified reason and promoting an internal voting system that supports diversity of opinion. The party’s president Dominic Fritz said that, after 10 years of existence, the party must adapt its statutes to become more efficient. He also raised the issue of the 2026 state budget bill, saying that the governing coalition must soon reach an agreement on what its priorities are. Fritz also said that the Save Romania Union is urging the other political parties to form a parliamentary commission to find a formula for a major administrative-territorial reform, which would mean a significant reduction in the number of mayor posts around the country. (CM)