Security expert Ilir Kulla tells Radio Free Europe that Albania must consider both the risk of cyberattacks and broader scenarios in the event of an escalation of the conflict. “[Cyberattacks] could be repeated in cyberattacks of levels many times higher than those we have had.
The February 28 US and Israeli attack on Iran, which killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has raised security concerns in many countries around the world, as the Islamic Republic has carried out retaliatory attacks on countries hosting US military bases. Such concerns have also been felt in Albania, which has been home to the Iranian opposition group Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), also known as the People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran, for years. On the day the attacks on Iran began, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama supported the US and Israeli operation, saying that the country he leads has been directly confronted with “the barbaric face of the Tehran regime, through its cyber aggression.” “For us, this is not abstract geopolitics. It is national security, moral and legal clarity. Albania will act accordingly,” Rama wrote on the social network X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Albanian government did not respond to RFE/RL’s inquiry about the current security situation. Albania has accused Iran of carrying out a series of devastating cyberattacks against it since 2022, which targeted state digital infrastructure and public services, and led to the severance of diplomatic relations between Tirana and Tehran.
Security experts are divided on the risk to Albania, as are citizens: some warn of new cyber or hybrid threats, while others believe that the presence of the MEK does not significantly increase the country’s exposure. The National Cyber Security Authority (AKSKA) in Albania told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in 2025 that cyberattacks had been ongoing since 2022. “The attacks, mainly of the ‘wipe’ and ‘ransomware’ type, have been destructive in nature and have aimed to paralyze digital infrastructures, causing service disruptions and consequences for citizens,” the AKSK statement said. The Albanian institution did not make any connection between the MEK’s presence in Albania and the attacks from Iran, while asserting that “Albanian institutions have shown prudence and have taken measures to strengthen cyber resilience in the face of possible future threats.”
WHAT DO THE EXPERTS SAY?
Security expert Ilir Kulla tells Radio Free Europe that Albania must consider both the risk of cyberattacks and broader scenarios in the event of an escalation of the conflict. “[Cyberattacks] could be repeated in cyberattacks of levels many times higher than those we have had. Not only that, Albania is at risk if we have a military escalation of the conflict, an exchange of missiles. Albania is on the direct air route from Iran to Europe,” he says.
Kulla adds that “Albania cannot do much in this regard.”
“If the conflict expands, it will be for everyone, we will simply stay in the line we have chosen,” he says. Professor and security expert Xhavit Shala says he does not see the presence of the MEK as an additional factor that endangers Albania from Iranian attacks. “They [the MEK] have received timely warning not to get involved in political activities against Iran. They have refugee status as defined by UN norms, they are friends in our country. If they do, they could arouse more hatred from Iran, and it could lead to action, but I do not think that will come to that. So, even if they do not pose an increased risk, great caution must be exercised, because certain segments could also be involved,” he says.
Shala adds, however, that the fact that Albania is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) changes the risk factor. “If a member country is compromised through attacks from Iran, which is not surprising, we are involved and the risk is the same as for any other country. There should be a level of alert,” he says. Shala, however, does not rule out the possibility of additional cyberattacks, but that, according to him, Albania is now better protected than it was years ago.
Citizens of Tirana, speaking to Radio Free Europe, express divided opinions regarding the threat to Albania. Some see the sheltering of the Iranian opposition as a risk factor and demand additional security measures. “War is not good for anyone, it is to the detriment of all peoples. As long as we have accepted the Iranian opposition, Albania is at risk,” says Ylber Morina. Others believe that Albania is too far away to be directly involved.
“I don’t believe we are in danger. I don’t believe the situation will escalate so much that we have to take measures, to worry,” says Fjori Lumani.
Gazmir Koçiu, another citizen, emphasizes that the international situation remains unstable, and requires vigilance. “There is no certainty. With what we are seeing in the news, the situation is frightening. Albania must take action. We knew we would have problems, ever since we took in the MEK members,” he says.
HOW DID MEK REACT TO THE ATTACK ON IRAN?
The MEK reacted quickly to the recent developments in Iran, viewing the situation as a historic moment for the end of the clerical regime. In a public message, the leader of the MEK and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Maryam Rajavi, declared that “Khamenei’s death is the death of religious tyranny,” and said that “an interim government should be established that will transfer sovereignty to the people through free elections.”
In recent posts on social media, the organization has promoted a ten-point plan, which calls for free elections, separation of religion and state, gender equality, and the abolition of the death penalty.
Radio Free Europe also attempted to speak with MEK representatives regarding the current situation and security concerns in Albania, but they did not respond by the time of publication of this article. The US State Department, in a response to Radio Free Europe in 2023, said that it does not consider the MEK “a viable democratic opposition movement representing the Iranian people.” (RFE)