“Avoid all travel.” Ministry of Foreign Affairs, message for Romanians in the context of the protests in Iran

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) announced on Friday, in the context of the protests in Iran, that a level 8/9 travel warning is in effect for this country – “Avoid all travel”. The authorities are telling Romanians who are in Iran not to participate in demonstrations and to avoid crowded places. Romanians who are in Iran are advised to signal their presence at the Romanian Embassy in Tehran, according to News.ro.

“In the context of the continuation of the demonstrations in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the increased risk of escalation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) reminds that a level 8/9 travel warning is in force for this country – AVOID ANY TRAVEL, for the entire Iranian territory,” the MFA said.

The institution says that the “firm recommendation” for citizens is “to avoid any travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran, due to the security situation. These elements have already been signaled through the travel warning issued by the MFA on December 30, 2025”, the institution states.

Romanians who are already in Iran are advised to avoid participating in demonstrations, not to stay in crowded places and to “responsibly assess the need to stay in this country”.

The MFA strongly recommends Romanian citizens who are in the Islamic Republic of Iran to signal their presence at the Embassy of Romania in Tehran, at the mission's emergency phone number: +98 21 77647570. Currently, the phone number works only by GSM call, calling it through messaging applications being impossible due to the lack of Internet access.

In the event that Romanian citizens encounter difficulties in contacting the diplomatic mission, alternatively, they can call the telephone number +98 21 77539041, the calls being forwarded to the Contact and Support Center for Romanian Citizens Abroad (CCSCRS) and taken over by Call Center operators on a permanent basis.

Iran has been without internet for 24 hours

The interruption of internet access ordered by the Iranian authorities in the context of massive protests in the country has already lasted for 24 hours, the non-governmental organization Netblocks announced on Friday, according to AFP and Reuters.

“It has been 24 hours since Iran implemented a nationwide internet shutdown, with connectivity stagnating at 1% of normal levels,” the organization said in a post on the X platform.

Human rights groups have documented dozens of protesters dying in nearly two weeks, and Iranian state television has broadcast clashes and fires. The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that several police officers were killed during the night.