Albania and Iran Broke Off Diplomatic Relations Due to Cyberattack

Albania broke off diplomatic relations with Iran and gave 24 hours for Iranian embassy staff to leave the country’s capital, Tirana. This, according to Reuters, was announced on September 7 by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.

The head of Albania said that Iran tried to carry out a cyberattack against government services on July 15, accusing the Islamic Republic of intending to steal government data.

According to Albanian Daily News, Albania’s position was supported by the United States, which condemned Iran for this unprecedented cyber incident.

Relations between Albania and Iran have been tensed since 2014, when Albania hosted some 3,000 members of the exiled opposition group, the People’s Organization of the Mujahideen of Iran, also known as the Mujahideen-e-Khalq in Farsi, who settled in a camp near Durrës, the main Albanian port.