Romania opens military bases for US defensive efforts amid Iran tensions
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UNITED NATIONS: Romania’s foreign minister told Fox News Digital that Bucharest responded to the Trump administration’s call for allied support in the Middle East by allowing Romanian military bases to be used for “defense activities” related to tensions with Iran and efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We allowed access to defensive activities, for example air refueling, because we believe that allies should trust each other,” Romania’s interim Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Ţoiu said in an exclusive interview at the United Nations. he said.
“We are not part of the war, we do not intend to be part of the war, but we are part of an effort to ensure common defense and we are part of a diplomatic effort to ensure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
Ţoiu’s comments come as President Donald Trump has repeatedly pressured his European allies to increase defense spending and take a larger role in global security efforts, including maritime security in the Middle East.
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A container ship remains at anchor in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, May 2, 2026, as a small motorboat passes by in the foreground. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
Ţoiu acknowledged rising tensions between Washington and some European allies over support for the conflict with Iran, but said both sides were aware of the need for closer coordination.
“I’m pretty confident that we understand, on both the U.S. and European sides, that we need to evolve our dialogue to avoid moments where we create tension in the transatlantic partnership,” he told Fox News Digital. “And I believe that a better dialogue up front between all parties, especially regarding the request for assistance in the conflict in the Middle East, will lead to better results.”
Romania’s foreign minister said Bucharest approved the use of its military bases and infrastructure for defense operations linked to regional security efforts.
“Romania has approved through the Parliament the proposal of the President, the ministry of foreign affairs, the ministry of defense and the prime minister to use our military bases and infrastructure for defense activities, for example for aerial refueling, because we are aware that we must trust each other.” he said.
“I think here in Europe, we share clear goals between the United States and countries around the world, like lowering energy prices, allowing fertilizers to no longer be blocked there.”
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Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Toiu speaks at an emergency Security Council meeting requested by Romania and supported by France after a Russian military drone exploded at the UN Headquarters in New York, New York, on June 1, 2026, entering Romanian airspace and injuring civilians. (Lev Radin/Sipa USA)
Romania, a NATO member bordering Ukraine, has emerged as one of the alliance’s most important eastern flank states amid growing concerns about both Russia’s war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East.
“We agree with President Trump on the need to increase budgets,” Ţoiu said. he said.
He noted that Romania increased defense spending to 2 percent of GDP during Trump’s previous term and plans to allocate an average of 3.4 percent next year through a combination of military purchases and strategic infrastructure investments.
His remarks came just hours after Romania requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday following a Russian drone attack on a residential building in Galati, Romania, on May 29.
The emergency briefing marked the first time in Romania’s nearly 70-year history at the United Nations that Romania had requested a Security Council meeting due to a direct threat to its national security, according to Romanian officials.
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Romanian law enforcement officers work at the site of an explosion in an apartment block following a reported drone strike near the Ukrainian border in Galati, Romania, on May 29, 2026. (Inquam Photos/George Calin via Reuters)
Speaking at the Security Council, Ţoiu said that a drone carrying explosives violated Romanian airspace for about four minutes, then crashed into the 10th floor of a residential building, injuring a mother and child.
“We have military analysis that clearly shows that this is a Russian-made drone in terms of the type of design, the type of equipment, and also the chemical analysis that was done,” he told Fox News Digital.
Ţoiu said the drone was believed to be part of a larger Russian attack targeting Ukrainian civilian infrastructure near the Danube River.
“We wanted to appeal to the international community to collectively state that this is a blatant violation of international law,” he said.
“And whether that was the intention or not, the responsibility is clear. And these reckless escalations need to stop.”
BALTIC LEADERS BENEFIT FROM THE WEAKNESS OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL, WHILE RUSSIA HAS THE VETO SEAT
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz meets with Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Ţoiu at UN headquarters in New York following an emergency Security Council session on a Russian drone strike in Romania on June 1, 2026. (US Mission to the United Nations)
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya rejected the accusations during the session, calling them “baseless and biased”.
Nebenzya argued that the damage would have been much more serious if a Geran-2 drone had hit the building directly, claiming that images in Romanian media showed only damage from the fire rather than complete destruction.
He also called for a “thorough, objective and depoliticized investigation” involving Russia and suggested that the incident may have been a Ukrainian provocation aimed at dragging NATO deeper into the war.
The US military maintains a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz even during the ceasefire. (US Central Command)
Ţoiu opposed Moscow’s stance and questioned how a permanent member of the Security Council could simultaneously act as an aggressor state.
“We are now faced with the question, not only from Romania’s perspective but also from the international community’s perspective, of how a member of the Security Council can contribute to the peace and security mission there, but also as an aggressor state,” he said.
“And veto of course [ is not currently] used for peace and security.”
The United States joined more than 50 countries in supporting Romania by issuing a joint statement condemning the strike.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz later wrote in X that he met with Ţoiu following a “reckless Russian drone attack on a Romanian apartment building”.
“The violence must end before more innocent people suffer,” Waltz wrote.
Ţoiu told Fox News Digital that he also held talks with the US delegation at the United Nations after the emergency session.
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NATO leaders attended a summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25, 2025, pledging to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 at the request of President Donald Trump. (Communication / Latin American News Agency, via Reuters Connect)
“The United States joined our joint statement with more than 50 countries to send a clear public message about the attack,” he said.
“We work with the United States not only through our partnership in NATO, but also through our strategic partners.”
