Standing with the U.S. Against Iran — How Safe Is Kosovo?

Soon after the first bombs fell on Iran—igniting a conflict that quickly escalated across the region—authorities in Kosovo moved swiftly to align themselves with the United States, condemning the Iranian regime and reaffirming support for the Western alliance.

Kosovo’s president, Vjosa Osmani, stated that thanks to the leadership of the United States and Donald Trump, the moment of freedom for the Iranian people may be approaching.

In a post on X, she said Kosovo would continue supporting the actions taken by the United States and its allies to end the Iranian regime, while strongly condemning Iran’s attacks against allied countries in the Middle East.

The United States and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran on February 28, aiming to curb Tehran’s nuclear program. In response, Iran and its allies have targeted facilities and interests linked to U.S. partners across the region — from Saudi Arabia to Cyprus — despite warnings from Trump against retaliation.

“Better not do that,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Because if they do, we will hit them with a force never seen before.”

Just hours after the strikes began, Kosovo’s prime minister, Albin Kurti, convened the National Security Council to discuss the situation, stating that Kosovo was closely monitoring possible implications for the country and the wider region.

However, the government did not respond to questions from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty regarding specific measures or potential consequences. Kosovo’s presidency, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Kosovo Police, and the U.S. State Department also declined to comment publicly.

Kosovo hosts Camp Bondsteel — the largest U.S. military base in the Balkans — as well as roughly 600 American troops serving as part of the NATO-led peacekeeping mission KFOR.

A NATO official told Radio Free Europe that KFOR continues to fulfill its mandate of maintaining a safe and secure environment for all citizens in Kosovo.

“The force and posture of KFOR are reviewed and adjusted periodically based on developments on the ground to ensure the mission remains effective,” the official said. “At present, no significant changes are under consideration.”

Meanwhile, Iran and its allies have launched attacks against several U.S. and allied bases across the Middle East. A British military base in Cyprus was also targeted by drones. Cypriot authorities said preliminary assessments suggested the drones were launched by Hezbollah from territory in Lebanon.

The incident prompted a swift European reaction, with several countries sending fighter jets and naval frigates to Cyprus to strengthen the island’s air and maritime defenses amid fears of further escalation.

When it comes to Kosovo, former NATO official Jamie Shea argues that although Camp Bondsteel is a major American installation, it is unlikely to be among Tehran’s priority targets.

The reason, he explains, is that Bondsteel is not an air base and is not being used to support current U.S. operations against Iran.

“As far as I understand, Iran has a limited number of ballistic missiles,” Shea said in comments to the Expose program of Radio Free Europe. “Since the United States and Israel are striking their launch platforms, Iran will need to use those missiles carefully to achieve maximum impact.”

According to the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Iran possesses the largest ballistic missile arsenal in the Middle East. Its inventory includes long-range missiles capable of reaching Israel, Kh-55 cruise missiles with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers, and Shahed drones believed to have been used in the attack on the British base in Cyprus and capable of traveling up to 2,500 kilometers.

This means that, if launched directly from Iran, the Balkans would likely remain outside the range of most of these systems.

However, former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, Ben Hodges, warns that other American facilities in Europe could still be potential targets.

He pointed specifically to the U.S. naval base on the island of Crete in Greece, which he considers an important logistical hub in the region.

Hodges did not mention specific missile or drone threats to Bondsteel but stressed that the base should always be treated as a potential target.

“I would always assume there is a threat,” he said. “Especially if there are terrorist organizations or individuals who may feel anger over the strikes against Iran or the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei and decide to act independently.”

Shea adds that the most likely threats to Europe — including Kosovo — could come in the form of terrorist attacks, cyberattacks, or actions by so-called “lone wolves,” individuals inspired by extremist ideology but acting independently.

“Many Kosovars joined the Islamic State during the period of the so-called caliphate,” Shea noted. “Some of them may have returned, and some may remain radicalized. This means there could still be pockets of radicalization.”

He emphasized that this concern is not limited to Kosovo but could also apply to other European countries within Muslim communities.

Shea also warned that the conflict could trigger rising oil and gas prices, higher inflation, and even a broader global recession. Such consequences would be particularly severe for Kosovo and the Western Balkans, which he described as economically fragile and heavily dependent on foreign investment.

Hodges raised another concern as well — the safety of European citizens, including Kosovars, who may be stranded in Gulf countries and across the Middle East if commercial flights are suspended.

“If there are hundreds of thousands of Europeans stuck in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, or similar places because airlines have stopped flying, then it is understandable why a government like France might feel the need to deploy forces to protect them,” Hodges said.

This week, Emmanuel Macron announced that France would send its aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Mediterranean and work toward forming a coalition to protect maritime traffic threatened by the escalating crisis.

Regarding security measures in Kosovo, Shea suggested authorities should strengthen border controls, monitor potentially radicalized individuals, increase security around U.S. and KFOR facilities, and deepen intelligence and operational cooperation with NATO and the United States.

“There is also a NATO reserve force that could be deployed if the situation requires,” he said. “But for now we are talking about normal preventive measures. Security should adapt to threat assessments — not underreact, but also not overreact.”

As the war continues day by day, the risks are becoming increasingly unpredictable.

Hodges also noted that Washington has never clearly defined what it wants Iran to look like once the war ends — a factor he believes makes the conflict harder to conclude.

“The longer the conflict lasts, the more the United States’ ability to maintain sufficient ammunition supplies is tested,” he said, adding that this also affects America’s capacity to deter other global rivals such as China.

“These are not simple products,” Hodges explained. “We are talking about highly sophisticated and expensive weapons systems that take time to produce. You cannot immediately triple or quadruple production of Patriot interceptors, HIMARS systems, or Tomahawk missiles.”

Trump said on March 4 that U.S. forces are in a “very strong position” in Iran and have made significant progress, even though the war has been underway for less than a week.

According to him, a key factor in that success has been the rebuilding of the U.S. military during his first term.

In the Balkans, the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina has raised its security measures to a higher level because of the escalation in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Aleksandar Vučić compared the U.S. strikes on Iran with NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.

Jamie Shea dismissed that comparison as “a completely false analogy,” describing it as familiar rhetoric from Serbia — a country that has also received diplomatic support from Iran in opposing Kosovo’s independence.

Iran, with a population of more than 91 million people, does not recognize Kosovo as an independent state and has no official diplomatic relations with it.