The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oana Toiu, announced on Saturday that, at this moment, the number of Romanians requesting repatriation from Israel is small.
Asked by Digi24 if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had received repatriation requests from Romanians, Toiu replied: "Yes, requests came in the first part of the day and we have an updated list, but at this moment, the number of requests is small, but this is also because the main recommendation at this moment is for people to stay in shelter with supplies, not to come closer than one kilometer to the border areas. It is likely that during the day there will be more Romanian citizens who approach the Consulate or Embassy."
Israel announced on Saturday that it had launched a "preemptive strike" on Iran, pushing the Middle East into a new military confrontation and further diminishing hopes for a diplomatic solution to the long-running nuclear dispute between Tehran and the West, Reuters reports.
"The State of Israel launched a preemptive strike against Iran to remove threats to Israel," said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Meanwhile, at least two loud explosions were heard in Tehran on Saturday, according to AFP journalists. The type of explosions suggests it was a missile attack, according to the Iranian news agency Fars.
The preemptive strike, which comes after Israel and Iran were engaged in a 12-day air war last June, comes amid repeated warnings from the US and the Jewish state that they will strike again if Iran continues its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
In parallel, the US and Iran resumed negotiations in February, in an attempt to settle the dispute through diplomacy and avoid a military confrontation that could destabilize the region.
On Friday, the US Embassy in Israel authorized the departure of non-essential US government personnel and their families from Israel, due to "security risks", only for US Ambassador Mike Huckabee to later send a message to embassy staff, warning them that if they wish to leave the country, they should "do it TODAY".
On Saturday, after the attack was announced, the Israeli army also ordered a "ban on educational activities, gatherings and workplaces", with the exception of essential sectors, and the airspace was closed to civilian flights.
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the US military had begun "major combat operations in Iran" to eliminate "imminent threats from the Iranian regime", shortly after Israel announced the launch of a preemptive strike on Iran, in coordination with the US, Reuters, AFP and dpa reported.
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