site.btaUS's Objective Is to Eliminate Any Possibility of Iran Developing Nuclear Weapons

Romania firmly supports the right of the Iranian people to decide their own future, the country’s Foreign Minister, Oana Toiu, said as quoted by Agerpres. She noted that pressure on the regime in Tehran must continue, adding that this could be achieved through a new package of EU sanctions. Toiu noted that the objective of the US is to eliminate any possibility of Iran developing nuclear weapons.

“A key lever in future negotiations is the sanctions package the European Union currently has in place against Iran. It can serve both as a tool to increase pressure and as a tool to encourage de-escalation,” she said. “We strongly condemn Iran’s attacks in the region and aim to support de-escalation efforts through the international formats in which we participate,“ Toiu said. 

She added that Romania’s position will remain aligned with that of the European Union and the United States.

The Foreign Minister said that, depending on developments in the region, a meeting between EU foreign ministers and their counterparts from the Middle East could take place this week to discuss next steps.

She pointed to the impact Iran’s defence industry has had and continues to have on the war in Ukraine. “We cannot overlook the fact that Iran developed the design of the Russian drones used in a brutal conflict on the European continent. Russia's drones, both those that attack and take the lives of innocent civilians in Ukraine and those that have illegally entered Romanian airspace, were drones of Iranian design. Of course, at present, a significant reduction in military production capacity on Iranian territory can also have the effect of weakening the partnership between Iran and Russia and, in practice, reducing the resources available to Russia in the war in Ukraine," Toiu said.

In a post on X, Marius Lazurca, national security adviser to Romanian President Nicusor Dan, wrote: “While we closely monitor the escalation in the Middle East and work to bring our citizens home safely, we must maintain the same strong strategic focus on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.“ He added that their assistance must continue “with undiminished strength and without distraction.”