Defence Minister Radu Miruta said on Monday that no aircraft carrying offensive payloads will depart from Romania's territory and added that he has not received any notifications so far regarding the risk of potential attacks.
The remarks came after former president Traian Basescu said the Romanian state should take preventive measures to inform the population about how to act in the event of possible attacks by Iran targeting US equipment or terrorist attacks. The former head of state warned that the bases at Kogalniceanu and Turda would not host defensive military equipment.
"I highly appreciate Mr Basescu's opinions. As he himself mentioned, these are his personal assessments. (...) These are not aircraft transporting explosives. They are not bombers. This was verified by the Ministry of Defence before the CSAT meeting, before the vote in Parliament, and we informed all parties of this. The US Army has confirmed in writing that these are not aircraft carrying explosives. Therefore, no aircraft will depart from Romania's territory with offensive payloads," Miruta said in a statement to the press at Parliament.
Miruta stressed that the missile defence system at Deveselu protects Romania, including against potential threats that could come from Iran. He added that Romania has a range of capabilities to prevent possible attacks.
"Based on the analyses carried out by Romania's specialised structures, there is no additional risk specifically associated with Romanians. That there may be risks of terrorist attacks somewhere in the world where Romanians may also be present - that can happen. (...) The Ministry of Defence holds information on military risks; for other types of risks, other Romanian state institutions are responsible, and so far they have not informed me of any such threat," he said.
Miruta also pointed out that the statement by the spokesperson of Iran's Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei, referred not to military threats but to legal and political matters.
"What Parliament voted a week ago is an element that increases Romania's defence capacity and strengthens deterrence against those who might look with interest at undermining national security. As defence minister, I am constantly concerned that Romania's national security remains the top priority and that we do everything in our power to enhance it. The presence of US troops in Romania increases deterrence - it does not reduce it," Radu Miruta said.
He also noted that during parliamentary committee debates he supported allocating 38% of the Defence Ministry's budget to equipping the armed forces.
Iran on Monday warned Romania it could respond politically and legally after it allowed the United States to use bases on its territory for operations against Iran, Iran International reported. Tehran has urged all countries not to get involved in the war, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said.
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