General in reserve Virgil Bălăceanu, message after the USA allegedly requested permission to use the base at Mihail Kogălniceanu: "If there will definitely be fighter planes that will participate directly in the bombing and striking of targets in Iran, the parameters of the issue change."

Retired General Virgil Bălăceanu stated that the interest of the United States in sending aircraft and military personnel to Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base is an integral part of applying the laws of military engagement and strategies for projecting force in the Middle East region. Bălăceanu emphasized the importance of this initiative in the context of regional security. He mentioned that Romania will analyze the request from the USA within the Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT). This analysis will take place under the leadership of Nicușor Dan, who has convened a meeting to discuss the details of this proposal.

"This is not an escalation. It is, if you will, the application of the laws of military engagement. At the moment when you are deployed close to your relatively small targets and it is not that easy to protect your force, you need to project your force deeper. There are principles of military engagement, there are laws, beyond the principles of military engagement, that the United States now needs to apply.

If there will only be aircraft for aerial surveillance, if there will be aircraft, thus logistic support, we also include here aircraft for in-flight refueling, the likelihood of becoming a target of Iranian missiles is lower. If there will certainly be fighter jets that will directly participate in bombing and striking targets in Iran, the situation changes." said Retired General Virgil Bălăceanu in an intervention on Digi24