March 1, 2026

The Romanian diplomacy strongly recommends avoiding non-essential travel to several states in the Middle East

Newsroom, 01.03.2026, 12:57

Meeting – The Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Ţoiu is participating today in an extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union, in online format, to discuss ways of diplomatic dialogue to prevent a long-term conflict in the Middle East. Previously, the FM said that the announcement regarding the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei represents a turning point, and Romania supports the right of Iranians to freedom, security and to choose their future. In a Facebook post, she also writes that the risk of a spiral of violence in the Middle East remains a major concern, and international collaboration to de-escalate the situation is essential, as is ensuring the safety of Romanian citizens in the area. Oana Ţoiu participated last night, together with the Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, in a meeting of a crisis cell specially established at the level of the Foreign Ministry. She stated that no Romanians were injured and that Romania’s representations are in contact with approximately 1,000 people who requested consular assistance. Hundreds of Romanians were turned away or were stranded for hours in airports after flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Tel Aviv or other destinations in the region were canceled or redirected. The Romanian diplomacy strongly recommends avoiding non-essential travel to several states in the area, in addition to Iran and Israel, such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Today, 34 flights were canceled at Otopeni International Airport due to the conflict in the Middle East. According to the National Airports Company of Bucharest, most of the canceled flights – 21 – are to or from Tel Aviv. The other affected destinations are Dubai, Doha, Beirut and Damascus.