Romania's President Nikos Dan has convened a meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense to discuss granting permission for American aircraft to utilize Romanian military bases for potential operations against Iran.
The Operative Information Center-OMM reports, citing foreign media outlets, that the high-level meeting focused on the evolving situation in the Middle East and its potential implications for Romania, as well as the feasibility of the temporary deployment of additional military forces within the country.
According to reports, the United States has requested the deployment of troops and fighter jets to the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base near Constanta, a strategically vital NATO facility. This air base has been instrumental in previous military operations and is considered a primary NATO hub in the Black Sea region. The discussions come amid a period of heightened geopolitical sensitivity, where US President Donald Trump has emphasized strengthening strategic alliances to maintain global security.
The Mihail Kogălniceanu base serves as a critical logistics point for NATO's eastern flank, providing rapid response capabilities and surveillance over the Black Sea. While Reuters previously reported that the US withdrew approximately 1,000 soldiers from the base last year to refocus on the Indo-Pacific region, about 1,000 American personnel remain stationed in Romania. The current proposal to increase this presence underscores Romania's growing role as a key security partner for the United States and NATO in Eastern Europe.
