Relationship dossier
Albania
Iran
Relationship assessment
Cyberattack allegations and Albania’s hosting of Iranian opposition members have driven a severe diplomatic rupture.
Albania toward Iran
-50Albania severed diplomatic relations with Iran in September 2022, citing cyberattacks against Albanian government institutions. Albanian authorities had also accused Iran of involvement in plots on Albanian territory.
Iran toward Albania
-50Iran has opposed Albania’s hosting of members of the Iranian opposition group MEK. Albania has attributed cyberattacks against its government institutions to Iran, though the extent of Iranian government involvement is disputed.
Overall relationship
-50The relationship is shaped by Albania’s 2022 severance of diplomatic relations following cyberattack allegations, earlier Albanian accusations of Iranian-linked plots, and Iran’s opposition to Albania hosting MEK members. These features constitute a substantial bilateral confrontation.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Albania severed diplomatic relations with Iran in September 2022, citing cyberattacks against Albanian government institutions. The rupture followed earlier Albanian accusations of Iranian-linked plots. Iran has also opposed Albania’s hosting of members of the Iranian opposition group MEK. These issues have made the relationship substantially adversarial.
Areas of tension
- Albanian allegations of Iranian-linked cyberattacks against government institutions
- Albanian accusations of Iranian-linked plots on its territory
- Iran’s opposition to Albania hosting MEK members
Key developments
Albania severed diplomatic relations with Iran, citing cyberattacks against Albanian government institutions.
A cyberattack targeted Albanian government services; Albania later attributed it to Iran.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of Iranian government direction or involvement in the cyberattacks is disputed.
- The scope and current status of Iranian-linked activity against targets in Albania are unclear.