NATO and its head, Jens Stoltenberg, have condemned the Iranian cyberattack on Albania, which saw the country cut ties with Tehran and demand all diplomats leave within 24 hours on Wednesday.
The cyberattack started on 15 July and brought all government sites and citizen online portals to a standstill in what was dubbed by international experts as a highly sophisticated operation.
Prime Minister Edi Rama then annouced that all diplomats must leave by Thursday afternoon, putting the final nail in the coffin of the two country’s deteriorating relationship.
Through a post on Twitter, Stoltenberg said that NATO is committed to continuing to increase security to prevent and protect against cyber threats.
“I strongly condemn the latest cyber attack on Albania, which Tirana and other allies attribute to Iran. NATO and Allied experts are providing support. NATO is committed to continuing to increase security to deter and defend against cyber threats,” Stoltenberg said.
NATO issued a full statement echoing Stoltenberg’s words, adding, “We will continue raising our guard against such malicious cyber activities in the future, and support each other to deter, defend against and counter the full spectrum of cyber threats, including by considering possible collective responses.”
On Wednesday evening, embassy staff were on the premises, and smoke was seen rising from the grounds in an apparent bid to burn documents. On Thursday, the diplomats left the site and anti-terror, and anti-bomb squads moved in to conduct a three-hour inspection.
After their departure, armed guards remained on site while the Iranian flag hung above the gate.
The diplomats are currently at Tirana International Airport, waiting for their flights to depart.
The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Nasser Ka’nani, denied the allegations, calling them baseless.
“As one of the countries that have been subject to cyber attacks on its critical infrastructure, the Islamic Republic of Iran opposes and condemns any use of cyberspace as a means to attack the infrastructure of other countries,” the Iranian spokesman said.
He added that Albania had been influenced by third parties who support terrorism, referring to the US and Israel.
Who is MEK?
Albania is home to the MEK group (People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran), founded in 1965 to oppose the US-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. They engaged in armed conflict from the 70s onwards against the Iranian state until they forged an alliance with Iraq and sided with them during the Iraq-Iran war.
MEK was previously designated as a terrorist organisation by the EU, Canada, US and Japan, but this was repealed. They were given protection in 2004 by the US government under the Geneva Convention.
They aim to overthrow the Iranian government, and some 1000 members live in a closed, heavily guarded compound 40km outside Tirana.
In 2018, the Albanian government expelled two Iranian diplomats, including the ambassador, for “damaging national security” and allegedly being involved in planning an attack on an Israel-Albania football match.
Opposition members have criticised the Albanian government for not being more prepared in the face of rising cybercrime threats but have also said if the country were not sheltering MEK, it would not be a target.
