Tehran promises a “quick” response and accuses Bucharest of complicity in military aggression. The MFA rejects the accusations: “Romania is not part of the conflict”
Iran has moved from diplomacy to direct threats. The spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei, warned Romania on Monday that putting the military bases at the disposal of the United States is equivalent to participating in a military aggression against the Islamic Republic. The statement comes just a few days after the Bucharest Parliament approved the deployment of American equipment and troops on Romanian territory, in the context of operations related to the war in Iran.
“A black spot in the history of bilateral relations”
Baghaei did not limit himself to a simple warning. The Iranian official qualified the possible Romanian support as “unacceptable from the point of view of international law” and warned that it would attract the international responsibility of the Romanian state. Moreover, he said that Romania’s involvement would represent “a black stain” in the history of relations between the two countries, emphasizing that “the Iranian people and the Romanian people have always been in a friendly relationship.” Tehran promised an “adequate and swift” response, both legally and politically.
What the Romanian Parliament approved
Iran’s harsh reaction was triggered by the March 11 decision, when both the country’s Supreme Defense Council and Parliament approved the United States’ request to send refueling planes, monitoring equipment and satellite communications systems to Romania. President Nicușor Dan then declared that the equipment is “strictly defensive”, correlated with the Deveselu anti-missile defense system, and that citizens have no reason to worry.
Hundreds of American soldiers, expected “immediately” in Romania
The Minister of Defense, Radu Miruță, confirmed over the weekend that American equipment and soldiers are to arrive “immediately”. According to the minister, between 400 and 500 American soldiers will arrive in Romania, who will manage the devices approved by the Parliament. “I, as the Minister of Defense, am concerned about an additional presence of American troops on the national territory, because this is an increase in security,” said Miruță.
The answer of the MAE: “Romania is not part of the conflict”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest reacted promptly to Tehran’s threats. Through a statement, the MAE recalled that the bilateral access agreement of 2006 provides the United States with the legal framework to use military bases in Romania and that the anti-missile defense system, hosted for over a decade, has a “strictly defensive character, used only for self-defense purposes, according to the UN Charter.” Bucharest’s official position remains firm: Romania is not part of the conflict.
The US Congress did not authorize itt the use of force in Iran
The international context remains extremely tense. The United States and Israel justify military operations by the need to counter Tehran’s nuclear and military ambitions. However, evidence of an imminent threat has not been made public, and the US Congress has not formally authorized the use of force in Iran. Romania is thus in a delicate position, caught between loyalty to the American strategic ally and the diplomatic risks implied by involvement, even indirectly, in a controversial war.
Click to rate this post!
