Urgent meeting in Bucharest. Romania to assist the United States in the war with Iran?

On 11th March, at the request of Romanian President Nicușor Dan, an emergency meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defence of Romania was convened. The meeting of the body responsible for taking key decisions regarding Romania’s national security focused primarily on the potential provision of Romanian military infrastructure for use by the United States Army.  Shortly after 12:30 p.m., President Dan confirmed that the United States had approached Bucharest with a request to make Romanian military airfields available for the basing and servicing of communications and radar equipment.

Further Aid

Approval on the part the Romanian authorities to provide infrastructure for American forces would not be entirely unprecedented. In a conversation with Defence24, analyst Kamil Całus noted that Romania has effectively been providing such support for more than two decades.  The best known example occurred after the terrorist attacks against the United States on 9/11, back in 2001, when Bucharest granted the coalition fighting the Taliban access to Romanian airspace, airports, and seaports.

„The key facility made available to the Americans at that time was the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base (near Constanța). In 2003, Romania also joined the so-called »coalition of the willing« in the US-led military operation against Iraq. At that time, the aforementioned coastal air base became one of the key transit hubs for coalition forces operating in the Middle East (primarily American). It was used, for example, by the 458th Air Expeditionary Group of the United States Air Force (and quite intensively so). In the first months of the invasion in 2003, some 1,300 transport movements passed through the base,” the Centre for Eastern Studies expert said.     

He added that the base was also partially utilised during last year’s Operation Midnight Hammer, when American bombers struck infrastructure associated with Iran’s nuclear programme. As the expert emphasised, in that specific case the facility served solely as logistical support, as the bombers attacking targets in Iran departed from another location (not in Romania).

Finally, the question remains as to what the Americans might deploy in Romania this time. According to Kamil Całus, citing leaks appearing in the Romanian press, the deployment would primarily involve aerial refuelling aircraft, as well as communications and radar systems.

Fewer Americans in Romania

At the end of October 2025, the United States informed the Romanian authorities of its decision to reduce the number of its troops in the country by 700 personnel. At present, approximately 1,000 American troops are stationed in Romania (with a total of 3,500 NATO soldiers deployed there).  More information on the reduction of American forces on the Alliance’s eastern flank can be found in related coverage.