The United States has requested Romania to allow the use of its military bases to support operations connected to the escalating conflict in Iran, local media reported. Romanian President Nicușor Dan convened the Supreme Defense Council to evaluate the request, examining the potential security implications, effects on Romania’s energy market, and the temporary deployment of military capabilities on national soil. The primary facility under consideration is the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base.

The council meeting, the first this year, comes amid broader regional movements by NATO and EU countries. France, Greece, and Italy have deployed warships to Cyprus following drone strikes on a British military installation, while other European nations are permitting access to their military facilities. Romania hosts roughly 1,000 US troops, with a total of about 3,500 NATO personnel stationed permanently, including American forces. The country’s proximity to Ukraine, sharing a 650-kilometer land border, adds further strategic significance, particularly as Russian drones have crossed its territory towards Kyiv, and mines in the Black Sea have disrupted key trade and energy routes.

Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, located near Constanța on Romania’s Black Sea coast, is one of Eastern Europe’s most significant NATO facilities. Originally a Romanian military base, it is now heavily used by both NATO and US forces as a logistics and operations hub for missions in Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Since the war in Ukraine began in 2022, the base has gained increased importance for reinforcing NATO’s eastern flank.

Romania has invested billions of euros to modernize the base, now capable of accommodating up to 10,000 troops and their families. Its infrastructure includes a military airfield for combat and transport aircraft, equipment and fuel depots, command centers, barracks, and other logistical support. The facility is named after 19th-century Romanian politician and statesman Mihail Kogălniceanu, reflecting both national heritage and its strategic military role.