February 28, 2026 UPDATE 3

US-Israeli strikes on Iran and other local and international stories making headlines today.

Newsroom, 28.02.2026, 19:04

Iran attack. The United States and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday morning, after months of tensions and the biggest American build-up in the Middle East in the last 23 years. US President Donald Trump says the objective is “eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime”, whose activities directly endanger the United States, American military bases abroad and US allies around the world. Tehran responded by launching a barrage of missiles around the Gulf area. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged that several commanders were killed in the joint Israeli-American attack, which was, in his opinion, unprovoked, illegitimate and contrary to international law. He also described Iran’s strikes against American bases in the region as an act of self-defence and said that Washington’s call for regime change in Tehran is mission impossible. Araghchi emphasised that his country does not have missiles capable of reaching the United States and that it is interested in obtaining an agreement that guarantees that its nuclear programme is peaceful. He gave assurances that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is alive. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the attack on a school in the south of the country, in which 85 people were reportedly killed, while the Iranian Revolutionary Guards have ordered that no ships pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the Israeli army said it was now targeting missile launchers and that a strong blow was dealt to Iranian defence systems. In a video statement, the Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli army, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, said the operation carried out alongside the United States is on a completely different scale compared to the strikes of June last year, being more complex and complicated.

Repatriation. Romanian prime minister Ilie Bolojan said all structures of the Romanian state are on alert following the conflict that has broken out in the 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.

Reactions. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an “immediate cessation of hostilities” in Iran. Russia and China, two of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, have criticised the military actions against Iran, describing them as a “dangerous adventure”. The United Arab Emirates and Qatar, targeted by Iran’s retaliations, have condemned the attacks on targets on their territory, stressing they are a serious escalation that threatens the security of the entire region. Britain, France and Germany joined the condemnation. In this context, the ambassadors of EU member states have been summoned for an extraordinary meeting on Sunday. Meanwhile, the European Commission and the EU Council have called on all sides to exercise restraint, protect civilians and respect international law.

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. (CM)