Why Counterterrorism Alert Level Raised in Hungary

  • 2 Mar 2026 6:24 AM
Why Counterterrorism Alert Level Raised in Hungary
The Defence Council convened on Saturday and raised the counterterrorism alert level by one step, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Facebook.

"On Saturday afternoon, I convened a meeting of the Defence Council, because developments in Iran may have an indirect impact on Hungary's security situation, with particular regard to our energy security," Orban said in the video.

"Hungarian soldiers are serving in the Middle East. They have not been affected by military strikes and they are safe," he said.

"We must also take into account the rising risk of terrorist attacks across Europe...especially in countries with large migrant populations," he said. "Hungary is in a much better position, but even so, we are raising the counterterrorism alert level by one step."

Orban said that due to the conflict, significant energy price increases were expected on global markets.

"In this situation, it is crucial that we break [Ukrainian] President Zelensky's oil blockade against Hungary." Hungary will therefore keep in place the countermeasures introduced against Ukraine in the coming weeks, he added.

Hungarians in Dubai, Abu Dhabi informed of contact numbers

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó informed Hungarian citizens in Dubai and Abu Dhabi of contact numbers for consular assistance in a video message on Facebook on Saturday.

Szijjarto warned of the risk to Hungarians after Iran attacked several countries in the Gulf region because of American bases there. "Hungarians in Dubai are also directly affected by this dangerous situation," he added.

He noted that the number of Hungarians requesting consular protection had climbed from 371 early on Saturday to over 1,100. He added that airspace over the region was closed.

Because of the high volume of calls, Szijjarto asked for patience from those trying to reach the consular phone number in Abu Dhabi: +971 56 549 9009

If anyone has knowledge of Hungarians who are in trouble and require assistance, they may reach the call centre: +3680368036

Other consular contact numbers:

United Arab Emirates: +971 56 549 9009

Qatar: +974 55 987 066

Jordan: +962 770 448 240

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.

Since the goal of XpatLoop is to keep readers well briefed, right across the spectrum of opinions, MTI items are shared to ensure readers are aware of all narratives within the local media.

XpatLoop believes in empowering readers to form their own views through complete and comprehensive coverage. To facilitate this XpatLoop has a balanced range of news partners, as you can see when you surf around XpatLoop.com

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