February 28, 2026 UPDATE
US and Israel launch attack on Iran./European Commission and EU Council react to Iran attack./ Romanian PM says country’s structures are on alert and embassies in contact with Romanian citizens in the region.
Newsroom, 28.02.2026, 16:54
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, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
The European Union is concerned about the developments in Iran and calls on all parties involved to exercise restraint, protect civilians and respect international law. The European Commission and the European Council are worried that the situation may escalate to involve or affect other players in the Middle East. Another concern is the Iranian nuclear situation. The EU urged sides not to take steps that may undermine the global non-proliferation framework. The EU Commission and the EU Council have also said that they are in contact with Member States to ensure that assistance is available to European citizens in the region in any situation.
Romanian prime minister Ilie Bolojan said all structures of the Romanian state are on alert following the conflict that has broken out in he Middle East and that Romanian embassies will stay in contact with Romanian citizens who may wish to leave the conflict area. The prime minister said solutions were being considered for the Romanian citizens in the countries that have closed their airspace in order to bring them home as soon as flights are resumed. The Romanian foreign ministry said 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.
