In support of the US against Iran, how safe is Kosovo?

President Vjosa Osmani said that, thanks to US leadership and President Donald Trump, the time of freedom for Iran's people is coming.

In a response to the X, she added that Kosovo will continue to support the actions taken by the US and other allies to end the Iranian regime, while strongly condemning its attacks on allies in the Middle East.

The United States and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran on 28 February, with the aim of curbing the country's nuclear programme. In response, Iran and its supporters are hitting targets in US Allied countries from Saudi Arabia to Cyprus despite Trump's warnings against revenge.

“Better not do this, because if they do, we will strike with a force that has never been seen before”, Trump wrote on the Social Truth Network.

Hours after the launch of the attacks, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti gathered the Security Council to discuss the situation, and said Kosovo is closely monitoring possible implications for the country and the region.

His government did not respond to Radio Free Europe on possible implications or concrete measures that could be taken. Neither the presidency nor the Ministry of Internal Affairs nor the Kosovo Police nor the US State Department gave any comments.

Kosovo hosts Camp Bondsteel ) the largest military base of the United States in the Balkans, and about 600 American soldiers serving under NATO's peacekeeping mission, KFOR. In an answer given to Radio Free Europe, an official NATO said KFOR continues to fulfil its mandate to secure a safe and secure environment for all Kosovo citizens.

“Forca and KFOR's position are revised and adjusted over and over again, according to developments in the situation, so that the mission remains effective for its purpose. Currently, significant changes are not under consideration, said NATO official.

Iran and its supporters attacked several United States bases and missions and their allies in the Middle East. A British base in Cyprus was also the target of fears attacks. Cypriot authorities said that, according to initial estimates, the fears were released by Hezbollah's militant group, backed by Iran, from Lebanon's territory.

The incident prompted immediate European responses: several states sent combat aircraft and frigates to Cyprus to strengthen Mediterranean island air and sea protection amid fears of further escalation of conflict. When it comes to Kosovo, former senior official NATO, Jamie Shea, argues that even though Camp Bondsteel is a major American installation, it is unlikely to rank among Tehran's priority targets. This, for the fact that Bondsteel is not an air base and is not used to support the current US operations against Iran.

“As I understand, Iran has a limited number of ballistic missiles available. Since the United States and Israel are hitting their launch platforms, Iran must use them intelligently to achieve the maximum effect”, says Shea of the Free Europe Radio Expos programme.

According to the US National Intelligence Director's Office, Iran has the largest reserve of ballistic missiles in the Middle East. Its Arsenal includes long-range missiles that can reach Israel, Kh55 floating rockets with ranges of up to 3,000km and Sahed fears, believed to have hit the British base in Cyprus and reached up to 2,500km.

This means that, if issued by Iran, the Balkans remain outside the range of this arsenal.

The former commander of the US Army in Europe, Ben Hodges, warns that within the range of possible threats, it could be the base of the American Navy in Crete, Greece. He considers it an important goal in Europe even because of its logistics role in the region.

Hodges does not mention specific missile threats or intimidation against Bondstheel, but stresses that the base should always be treated as a potential danger.

I would always assume that there is a threat, especially if there are terrorist organisations or individuals who may feel angry about the attacks on Iran or the murder of Ajatothah, and decide to act on their own. Therefore, even at Camp Bondsteel security measures should be maintained and this option” always calculated, says Hodges for Expose.

Shea points out that for Europe, including Kosovo, the most likely threats of Iranian or Iranian-inspired actions are terrorist attacks, cyber attacks and attacks of individuals known as the lone “” individuals inspired by ideology or groups but acting independently.

Many Kosovars joined the Islamic State during the time of potassium; some may have returned to the country, some may still remain radicalised. That means there might be some sort of radicalization. And, I'm not just talking about Kosovo, because the similar situation may emerge in other European countries, within the Muslim communities”, Shea estimates.

It warns that the conflict could also bring increased oil and gas prices, higher inflation and major global recession. The consequences will be especially serious for Kosovo and the Western Balkans as a whole a region he describes as economically fragile and dependent on foreign investments.

In addition, General Hodges shares another concern about the security of European citizens, including Kosovars, trapped in Gulf and Middle Eastern countries.

If there are hundreds of thousands of Europeans stuck in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar or similar countries because airlines have stopped, then I can understand why the French government can feel the need to send its strength to protect them”, says Hodges.

France's President Emmanuel Macron announced this week that his country would send aircraft carrier “Charles de Gaulle” to the Mediterranean and that it would work to form a coalition that would protect maritime traffic, which is threatened by the escalation of the crisis in the Middle East.

In the context of security measures for Kosovo, Shea suggests that authorities strengthen border control, monitor potentially radicalised individuals, boost security about US and KFOR facilities, and strengthen operational and intelligence co-operation with NATO and the United States.

Of course, there is also a NATO reserve force that can be distanced if the situation requires it. But, actually, it's common preventive measures. Security must be adjusted according to threat assessments. You don't have to react less, but you don't have to overreact with your reaction”, says Shea.

As each day continues, the dangers become increasingly unpredictable. Hodges says Washington has never clearly determined what Iran wants to look like when the war is over which, according to him, makes conflict more difficult to end.

It also warns of pressure on American military reserves and on overall prevention capacity.

The longer the conflict lasts, the more the US's ability to secure enough ammunition is tested. This is related not only to actual operations but also to the preservation of China's prevention capacities. I'm sure there's a lot of pressure on the industry to increase production. But these are not simple products. They are very sophisticated, expensive, and time - consuming weapons. You cannot triple or redouble the production of Patriot interceptors, HIMARS systems or Tomahawk”, Hoxhas says.

President Trump said on March 4th that United States forces are in a very powerful position in Iran. According to him, they have made great progress, “even though the war has been under way for less than a week since”. And, perhaps, the most important factor for this is “the reconstruction of the military during my first mandate, said Trump.

In the Balkans, Bosnia and Herzegovina's Ministry of Security increased security measures to a higher level due to the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, while Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, compared the US attack on Iran to NATO's air campaign against the former Yugoslavia.

In the words of Jamie Shea, this is just a completely false “anology” and Serbia's repeated rhetoric, which has Iran's support for Kosovo independence as well.

Iran, with a population of over 91 million, does not recognise Kosovo as a state and has no formal diplomatic relations with the country. /Periscope