Iranian Diplomats ‘Burned Embassy Documents in Albania’; Police Inspected the Building

Reuters reports that Iranian diplomats burned embassy documents in the early morning hours of Thursday, September 17, after Albania severed diplomatic relations with Iran and accused the Islamic Republic of cyberattacks in July, before leaving Albania.

One witness at the scene told Reuters that he saw a man inside the embassy throwing papers into a rusty barrel, with flames illuminating the walls of the three-story embassy building.

Albania’s counter-terrorism police inspected the embassy building hours after Iranian diplomats burned the documents inside it.

A Reuters correspondent reports that police, wearing masks, safety helmets, and armed, entered the Iranian embassy after two vehicles with diplomatic plates departed. The embassy is located 200 meters from the Albanian Prime Minister’s office. According to the report, police were still inside the building 30 minutes later.

According to the Associated Press, the last two vehicles that left the Iranian embassy in Tirana around noon on Thursday carried 10 passengers. Government sources have so far refrained from disclosing the passengers’ destination, but according to local media reports, some of these individuals headed to Tirana International Airport and others likely traveled to North Macedonia.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Wednesday in an unprecedented video speech that he had ordered Iranian diplomats and staff to close their embassy and leave the country within 24 hours.

The Albanian Prime Minister, announcing the severance of diplomatic relations with Iran, said: “This severe reaction… is entirely proportional to the severity and danger of the cyberattack that threatened to paralyze public services, erase digital systems, and hack government records, steal internal government electronic communications, and create chaos and insecurity in the country.”

An American cybersecurity firm said on August 4 that cyberattacks in late July that temporarily shut down the internet systems of several Albanian government institutions were likely carried out by hackers affiliated with the Iranian government and aimed to disrupt the holding of a Mujahedin-e Khalq gathering in the country.

The United States and Britain have strongly condemned Iran’s cyberattacks on Albania, and the White House warned that Tehran would face consequences.

The White House even mentioned the possibility of invoking Article 5 of the NATO treaty against Iran.

Article 5 of the NATO founding treaty states that an attack on one or more NATO member states shall be considered an attack on all of them.

The use of this article is likely given that Albania has been a NATO member since 2009.

Nasser Kanaani, spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, warned on Thursday in response to these developments “against any political adventurism… under these ridiculous pretexts” and said that the Islamic Republic “is fully prepared for a decisive, immediate, and regrettable response to any possible plot.”

Identification of Another Hacking Group ‘Probably Linked to Iran’

Researchers at Mandiant cybersecurity firm say they have identified a group that, according to them, is probably supported by the Iranian government and conducts cyber espionage.

In a report released on Wednesday, Mandiant researchers say this group, called “APT 42,” has conducted intelligence gathering and surveillance operations since at least 2015.

According to the report, this group targets opponents of the Iranian regime. These targets include think tanks, researchers, current and former government officials, journalists, and members of the Iranian diaspora community.

Mandiant has confirmed at least 30 such operations so far. However, researchers say the actual number of attacks carried out is likely much higher.

Source: Radio Farda