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Polish officials, experts comment as Middle East tensions rise

28.02.2026 13:00
In Poland, the early morning combined strikes on Iran by Israel and the United States are being closely monitored by state services and actively discussed by experts and politicians across the political spectrum.
A plume of smoke rises as an Iranian missile hits the sea waters off Haifa, Israel, 28 February 2026. The Israeli military reported on 28 February it deteced missiles launched from Iran following earlier Israeli and US strikes. Sirens were activated across several parts of the country in response.
A plume of smoke rises as an Iranian missile hits the sea waters off Haifa, Israel, 28 February 2026. The Israeli military reported on 28 February it deteced missiles launched from Iran following earlier Israeli and US strikes. Sirens were activated across several parts of the country in response. Photo: ATEF SAFADI, PAP/EPA.

An aide to Poland’s MAGA-affiliated president Karol Nawrocki told Polish Radio that, while the conflict does not directly affect the central European country, it is in its interest to see it de-escalated.

“Anything that happens in the Middle East matters for global security, and in that sense, we must carefully watch developments there”, Wojciech Kolarski said.

“The world’s focus on the Middle East diverts attention from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine”, he argued adding it is not good news from Poland’s perspective.

“De-escalation is in the interest of both Poland and the wider international community”, Kolarski opined.

According to Polish general Roman Polko, the attack reflects the domestic policies of Israel and the United States, not an effort to restore order in the Middle East

“I think President Trump and Israel are pursuing their goal of keeping Netanyahu in power”, he told regional broadcaster Radio Katowice.

“Trump also has elections approaching and wants to claim some success. However, the idea of changing the Iranian leadership through airstrikes is absurd’, he added.

Meanwhile, MP Anna Maria Żukowska of the Left Party warned that escalation in the Middle East could spark a serious regional conflict.

“It likely signals a revival of Washington’s imperial ambitions,” she said.

“It shows that the United States aims to recreate a global order in which it is, alongside perhaps one other power, determining what happens in other countries”, she added.

MP Witold Tumanowicz of the far right Confederation party, however, believes a follow-up ground operation in Iran is unlikely.

“A strike was expected, but whether Donald Trump would authorise a ground intervention is another matter”, he told Polish Radio.

“In my view, probably not. The airstrikes may have already achieved the objectives Trump had in mind”, he added.

“We’ll see if the ayatollahs remain in power, but their teeth and claws in regional politics have likely been dulled”, Tumanowicz noted.


No Poles reported hurt in Iran strikes

Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Polish citizens — including staff at Poland’s embassy in Tehran — are safe.

There are currently no reports of Polish nationals being affected by the strikes on Iran, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Saturday morning. 

Meanwhile, President Karol Nawrocki wrote Poland was aware of the attacks on Iran thanks to communication channels with allies.

The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran early Saturday, plunging the Middle East into a new conflict that President Donald Trump said would end a security threat to the United States and offer Iranians a chance to topple their rulers, the Reuters news agency wrote on Saturday.

Iran launched missiles towards Israel, Israel's military said, and the Pentagon said the U.S. strikes against Iran were named "Operation Epic Fury."

Tehran is now preparing for a retaliation attack, Iranian officials said on Saturday, vowing to carry out a "crushing response" to the Israel-US combined attack, according to Reuters.


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Source: IAR, PAP