The situation of the Romanians in the Middle East

Authorities in Bucharest are making moves to ensure the protection of the Romanian nationals caught in the Israeli-Iranian conflict

Leyla Cheamil, 18.06.2025, 13:50

The situation in the Middle East has become critical following the armed conflict between Israel and Iran. Present at the informal meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers on Tuesday, the head of the diplomacy in Bucharest, Emil Hurezeanu, voiced profound concern regarding the escalation of the security situation in the Middle East and the danger of a large-scale regional crisis.

The Romanian official has underlined the necessity of reducing tension in the region and resuming diplomatic efforts to ensure a solution negotiated and verifiable concerning Iran’s nuclear programme. At the same time, Hurezeanu reconfirmed the commitment to Israel’s security and mentioned the need for stepping up pressure on the regime in Tehran to make it comply with the provisions of the International Atomic Energy Agency and to bring it back to the negotiation table.

The Romanian nationals who are caught in the conflict between the two countries have applied for assistance from the Foreign Ministry. Against this background of the increased deterioration of the security situation in the Middle East and of closing the airspace in several countries in the region, the institution has been taking measures to provide consular protection to the Romanian citizens who have announced their presence in the region and want to be repatriated.

Groups of pilgrims have already left Israel and according to the State Secretary for European Affairs, the Middle East and Africa with the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Clara Staicu, roughly 200 Romanians have applied for their evacuation from Israel and Iran due to the conflict in the region.

“The situation is fluid and our colleagues are in permanent contact with these people to learn about their time opportunities for evacuation and possible flight routes. Other repatriation actions are also to follow,” Clara Staicu told a news conference. She recalled the setting up of a permanent crisis cell at the Foreign Ministry on June 12 with a view to coordinating the necessary activities in this context.

According to her, a decision to use military planes for the evacuation of the Romanian nationals is to be made at government level.

“We have been following around 385 evacuation requests and all the moves we are making involve coordination between the Capital and the diplomatic missions in the countries affected as well as with the local authorities for the identification of the safest evacuation routes,” Staicu explains. She also went on to say that the ministry is in a permanent coordination with the missions of other European and allied countries whose citizens are in similar situations. Staicu also says that the idea of evacuating the non-essential personnel from the diplomatic missions in the risk areas is also being discussed, although the situation is very fluid and there is no decision in this respect.

(bill)