The conflict in and around Iran has sharply escalated in recent days, triggering far-reaching repercussions well beyond the Middle East. What began as targeted military strikes has now disrupted global travel, heightened security concerns and directly affected Hungarian citizens and interests.
This page brings together all of Daily News Hungary’s coverage, background analyses and Hungary-related developments in one place, and will be continuously updated, so keep checking back as we add every new piece of relevant news.
Table of contents
13 March
Italy pulls troops from Erbil base hit by strikes — where Hungarians are deployed too
12 March
Iran conflict: Hungarian troops take shelter as attack hits base in Iraq – VIDEO, UPDATE
10 March
- FM Szijjártó shared good news with Hungarians stuck in the Middle East
- Orbán cabinet introduces additional measures amid looming fuel crisis
9 March
- Can Iran reach Hungary or Hungarian-inhabited areas with its missiles and drones?
- Hungarian repatriation flights continue from Middle East
- The Hungarian forint is depreciating at a startling pace: how much further might it weaken?
- Fuel restrictions imposed in Hungary: are we running out?
7 March
- Iran threatens Europe as NATO intercepts missile near Turkish airspace
- Countries of the European Union will “sooner or later pay the price” if they remain indifferent to the war being waged against Iran by the United States and Israel, Iran said.
- Is the forint done for? We haven’t seen a downward spiral like this in years
- Escalating conflict involving Iran in the Middle East is beginning to send shockwaves through global markets.
6 March
Two scheduled flights operate between Dubai and Budapest despite ongoing Middle East airspace disruption
Despite continued airspace restrictions across large parts of the Middle East, two scheduled flights are operating on Friday between Dubai and Budapest, according to a statement posted by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on Facebook.
Szijjártó said the wider region’s airspace remains significantly constrained, but added that an Emirates flight has already departed on the Dubai–Budapest route.
Emirates flight has already departed Dubai for Budapest
In his Friday update, Szijjártó wrote that one of the two scheduled services is operated by Emirates, and that its aircraft took off shortly before his post.
The statement did not provide a flight number in the excerpt carried by Hungarian media, but it explicitly described the service as a scheduled flight between Dubai and Budapest.
Charter flight leased from flydubai expected to depart around 9:30 pm
Szijjártó also reported that a separate “relief” (charter) flight leased from flydubai is expected to depart at around 9:30 pm on Friday evening.
He said 166 people are expected to return on board this flight, and that places were allocated primarily to:
- families travelling with small children,
- pregnant women, and
- people requiring medical care.
Second relief flight departing Sharm el-Sheikh with 70 passengers
In the same Friday communication, Szijjártó said another relief flight is scheduled to depart from Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt) at 7:00 pm local time, carrying 70 people.
Hungarian media reports summarising the minister’s update repeated the same departure time and passenger count.
Consular assistance ongoing
Szijjártó stated that Hungary’s embassies in the region continue operating at full capacity, and that consular departments remain available to assist Hungarians who are stranded.
Separately, earlier reporting this week described broader evacuation planning, including additional flights from other regional locations, as air travel in parts of the region has been disrupted.
5 March
- PM Orbán is afraid of “terrorists from the West”, raises terror alert
- Orbán argued that past migration waves had enabled Middle Eastern extremist groups to establish a presence in parts of Western Europe.
- Wizz Air suspends flights to Middle East for several months
- Wizz Air has cancelled even more of their flights to the Middle East for even more months.
- Hungarian government launches evacuation flights to bring citizens home from Middle East turmoil
- The Hungarian government is stepping up evacuation efforts to bring home citizens stranded across the Middle East.
- Hungarians coming home: First flight from Dubai on the way to Budapest
- Budapest welcomes the first Emirates flight from Dubai since the recent airspace restrictions.
- Iranian students at Hungary’s Pécs University issue desperate plea amid mounting woes: studies at risk of collapse
- The university has not answered their plea yet.
4 March
- Thousands of Hungarians in danger – repatriation flights on their way
- War in Iran, trouble at home: Hungary’s economy faces pressure
- More migrants expected to arrive in Hungary imminently
- Wizz Air suspends flights to Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman for longer than previously announced
3 March
- Forint plunges with little hope of reversal due to the ongoing war in Iran
- It’s looking grim: a massive new crisis looms, and Hungary could be among the biggest losers
- Hungary launches rescue flights from the Middle East, Wizz Air steps up service, Flydubai restarts flights
2 March
We would like to thank our reader for his exclusive report from Dubai, which we are publishing in its original form:
I have been living in Dubai since 2018, where I run a real estate agency with several Hungarian and international colleagues, including an Iranian colleague. After the panic on Saturday evening, by Monday morning the real situation was much clearer. Schools are closed, education is currently taking place online, and the airport remains closed for security reasons.
Shopping malls and restaurants remain open and are operating normally, and taxis, subways, and buses are running without disruption. The emirate’s authorities have asked the population to stay at home if possible, but many people have already appeared in public spaces and are continuing their daily activities. Supermarkets and shops currently have ample supplies, so there are no supply problems.
The air defense system is extremely effective: incoming missiles are typically neutralized well away from the city, so only a muffled, distant explosion can be heard from here. Falling rocket debris may pose a minor risk to people or property, but so far there have been reports of minimal damage. Although there is some psychological tension among the people, Dubai is stable overall, functioning normally, and the residents are continuing their daily lives largely undisturbed.
Best regards,
Zoltán Jurecska
- Could the war in Iran sweep away Hungarian Wizz Air? Shares could plummet, with a brutal slump in prospect
- Orbán cabinet raises terror threat level: heightened security measures at Budapest Airport
- Hungarians stuck in the UAE unable to foot Dubai hotel bills – hoteliers know nothing about state promise
- Two UAE key airports resume limited flight operations amid Iran attacks – can Hungarians get home?
- Fuel prices in Hungary could rise by this much within days
- What can Hungarians stuck in the Middle East do now? FM Szijjártó shared updates – photos
- Breaking: drone strike rocks military base housing Hungarian troops in fresh escalation – photos
Trump says Iran’s new leadership wants talks.
Trump: “They want to negotiate, and I agreed to do it, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it earlier. They should have offered something that was very practical and easy to do, earlier. They waited too long,” Trump said.
When asked if his conversation with the Iranians would take place on Sunday or Monday, Trump said, “I can’t tell you that.”
He noted that some of the Iranians who participated in the talks in recent weeks are no longer alive. “Most of these people are dead. Some of the people we dealt with have died because it was a big – it was a big blow,” he said.
“They should have done it sooner. They could have made an agreement. They should have done it earlier. They played it too slick,” Trump stated.
Wars are so unpredictable.
They start in one place and often wind up in the opposite place. Some wars start with a bang, and then quickly fizzle out, while other wars start with some exchanges, and then drag on for what seems to be endless years.
You just don’t know.
We can pray, however, that some sort of workable peace comes sooner, rather than later.
“They start in one place and often wind up in the opposite place. Some wars start with a bang, and then quickly fizzle out, while other wars start with some exchanges, and then drag on for what seems to be endless years.”
Here I have to agree with you.
Yes. Sometimes wars drag on like the four year plus Russian “Special Military Operation” failure in Ukraine. Is it legal now to call it a “war” in Russia? I know it is illegal to protest it in Russia. Any room left in those cemeteries in Russia?
This time, we need to go all the way and effect a regime change.
Aside from the fact that the mad mullahs have been menacing the entire region–and wider–for almost a half a century, they recently slaughtered tens of thousands of their own people, simply for protesting the harsh economic realities.
No ceasefire, no deescalation, no deal. A debellatio.
What an active morning Steiner. long time no see. ;D
And here comes the most important question, who put Khaminin in power, guess who? :DDD
Michael my friend we missed you and here we are both in total agreement.
The British airbase at Akrotiri in Cyprus was reportedly hit by a drone overnight on Monday. The Ministry of Defence in London confirmed this, according to the PA news agency. No one was injured in the incident near the port city of Limassol.
Forces within Iran are trying by all means to escalate the war; after Arab states, Cyprus is now the next target. However, they will face the problem that the Iranian establishment has no real interest in doing so.
The Pentagon has announced a press conference with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegzeth for Monday afternoon regarding the joint US-Israeli attacks on targets in Iran. Hegzeth will address the press at 8:00 a.m. local time (2:00 p.m. CET) on Monday, the Pentagon announced on Sunday (local time) via its online news service X. US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, will also participate in the press conference.
A US analysis concludes that Trump’s offensive against Iran is severely depleting missile stockpiles. The reserves of certain interceptor missiles could be exhausted in about ten days.
According to an analysis by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the main problem is the so-called “magazine depth”—the supply of state-of-the-art interceptor missiles designed to protect US bases and allies from Iranian retaliatory strikes.
For years, international influencers praised Dubai as a tax and safety haven. Now they’re posting pictures of explosions on their doorstep – and their success myth is crumbling. What’s next?
DIE WELT reports that Iran is pursuing a confrontational course: The influential head of the National Security Council, Ali Larijani, formerly a close advisor to the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rejects any negotiations with the US government. “We will not negotiate with the US,” Larijani declared on X. He dismissed media reports that Iranian representatives had attempted to initiate talks with Washington.
Larijani also accused Donald Trump of having “plunged the region into chaos with his ‘illusory dreams.'” Now, Trump is worried about losses among US forces.
I cannot say what is true. However, Iran would lose face among its supporters domestically if it were to admit that it is seeking talks.
The scale of the American-Israeli attack has surprised observers. Donald Trump, it seems, is opting for maximum force. But even allies are asking: Who will control the chaos if Tehran falls?
Europe is sending warships to the Red Sea to “protect” European interests!
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy announced a reinforcement of the military mission “Aspides” to protect merchant ships, which are particularly threatened by the Houthis.
In a joint statement, the leaders of the three largest European countries condemned Iran’s “indiscriminate and disproportionate” missile attacks. These “threaten our military personnel and our civilian population throughout the region,” wrote Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz, and Keir Starmer.
Germany, France, and the United Kingdom announced that they intend to “enable” retaliatory strikes on Iranian soil to destroy missile launch sites.
This was reported by the Handelsblatt.
This should give Orban serious cause for thought.
It has been confirmed that Iran did appeal to Russia, relying on clauses in the agreements on “mutual assistance in case of threat to sovereignty.”
Moscow, who would be surprised, took advantage of a legal casuistry: since the strikes by the United States and Israel are positioned as “point operations against terrorist infrastructure” rather than a full-scale [ground] invasion, the Kremlin treats this as a case not covered by the collective defense clause.
Iran has requested that Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile systems, as well as the Krasukha and Leer-3 electronic warfare systems at the Russian bases in Syria that continue to operate there (Khmeimim and Tartus) be activated to blind Israeli aircraft.
But Russia not only refused, but reportedly turned off transponders and active radars at its bases as Israeli missiles flew over, to avoid accidental snagging and an excuse to enter the conflict.
And finally, Moscow’s refusal is being heard in the capitals of North Korea and China – Pyongyang and Beijing – and among the Global South.
Russia has demonstrated that it is an “ally until the first serious challenge.” Iranian elites, especially the pragmatic wing, now openly say that strategic reliance on Russia was a mistake that led to national disaster.
Igor Semivolos, Facebook
What the USA did is dishonorable.
The optics could not be worse.
Look up the “Day of infamy” speach. And tell me, that it is not exatly what the USA did just now. Worse yet, they did not attack the military, but a religious leader. And killed his family too.
The USA just started a religious war throught the entire world.
There will be no negotiations. Just war, and terrorism. Until Shia Islam is eradicated, or the USA is destroyed. And all of it is Trump’s fault. Exclusively.
Iran cannot fund international terror, attack Israel for decades through proxies, pursue nuclear weapons and back a war of aggression in Ukraine and then expect that the niceties of international law will somehow shield it from the consequences of its actions. Iran has engaged in a large scale policy of violence against its’ own people and other countries slaughtering thousands of anti-government protestors this year. Mark you are an idiot.
The best part of this web site is is the comments- the Crazy and the sane.
The biggest threat to Europe is not Russia JD Vance to their face and they went nuts.
Russia is a nobody in the Middle East. That country is expending itself out in Ukraine. Donald Trump is removing their friends out of office around the world. Hungarians will remove their Fidesz friends on their own.
“What the USA did is dishonorable. The optics could not be worse. Look up the “Day of infamy” speach. And tell me, that it is not exatly what the USA did just now. Worse yet, they did not attack the military, but a religious leader. And killed his family too.”
It would be far more credible if those who are now so vehemently criticizing the US had also done so against Russia. They had four years to do so. As it is, it’s all just mendacious Russian propaganda!
“The USA just started a religious war throught the entire world.”
Iran attacks Muslims on the Arabian Peninsula just the same. In Lebanon, the government is also trying to curb the Iranian-funded Hezbollah and has officially banned all its activities. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States have threatened to join the attacks against Iran if Iran attacks civilian targets in their countries again. Is this supposed to be a religious war? A rather mindless one, perhaps, but never in the true sense.
The only possible response is that the world isn’t just the Middle East. Of course, this is just a polemical exaggeration to spread fear, serving only Russian propaganda.
“There will be no negotiations. Just war, and terrorism. Until Shia Islam is eradicated, or the USA is destroyed.”
Russia is cowardly tucking its tail between its legs and refusing to help Iran despite agreements, and China, fearing the economic consequences, doesn’t dare to take any action, as that would destabilize its own country enormously.
Who else would bring the US to its knees? Belarus or North Korea, perhaps? Russia doesn’t have many more supporters left. The other countries have lost interest in doing so, now that even the last country realizes Russia is just a loudmouthed paper tiger that will abandon its allies in a crisis.
This will surely become a new Russian conspiracy theory.
“… they (USA and Israel) did not attack the military, but a religious leader.”
Ali Khamenei was an Iranian Shiite politician, not just a religious leader. Until his death, he was the “Supreme Leader” and the political head of the predominantly Shiite Islamic Republic of Iran. He was also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
He wasn’t a religious leader in the true sense of the word; he was an ideologically blinded political dictator who was simultaneously the religious leader of Iran. This was due to the structure of the Iranian state. Whether the people who pretend he was only a religious leader are truly that stupid or are deliberately lying, I don’t know. Stupidity, at least, would be excusable.
The EU is preparing for potential emergencies resulting from the Iran-Iraq War. As the European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen announced after a special meeting in Brussels, an energy crisis team will be convened with representatives from the member states in light of these developments. It could plan responses to rapidly rising oil, gasoline, and gas prices.
Following the recent drone attack on the British airbase Akrotiri in Cyprus, Greece is increasing its military support for the EU island nation. As Cypriot government spokesman Konstantinos Letybiotis announced, four Greek F-16 fighter jets landed on the island on Sunday evening. Two Greek frigates are also expected off the coast of Cyprus in the coming days. The warships are equipped with modern air and drone defense systems, the Greek Ministry of Defense stated.
According to British media, Britain initially refused to allow the US to launch attacks on Iran from British bases, citing international law. On Sunday evening, however, Starmer relented and permitted the use of bases – albeit to a limited extent and only for strikes against missile sites.
Qatar halts gas production!
Oil price: https://www.hl.co.uk/shares/trading-commodities/brent-crude-oil
ICE Dutch TTF Natural Gas Futures
https://de.investing.com/commodities/ice-dutch-ttf-gas-c1-futures
In a large-scale operation against the Iranian regime, the U.S. military for the first time used a strategy perfected by the Ukrainian Defense Forces against the Russian occupiers. It’s about the massive use of single-use budget strike drones to hit strategic targets, Politico reports
We are so proud of the EU and UK had no role in the Iran operation. Just because they can’t be trusted. The 9 million of little Israel a better partner. It’s been death to the US and Israel for over 50 years and billion spent by these clowns to destroy both non-stop- everytime you go through a TSA line remember why it there.