We have evidence confirming Iran’s involvement in the cyberattack: Albanian MP

Al-Arabia – A member in the Albanian parliament, Taulant Balla, confirmed to Al Arabiya on Wednesday that his government has evidence of Iran’s involvement in the cyberattack against his country, stressing that the Albanian security services have identified the Iranian groups responsible.

Balla said: “This decision comes after a very severe cyberattack that Albania suffered on July 15. It was meant to destroy the complete digital infrastructure of Albania.” He added: “The government of Albania is completely sure that this attack was not organized by a simple person or organization, but it was completely organized by the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

He said: “Four terrorist groups were involved in this cyberattack against Albania. One of them a very big cyberterrorist that was also involved in other attacks in friendly countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel and Kuwait. All the proof confirmed, with no shadow of a doubt, that behind this severe and very dangerous cyberattack against Albania was the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The Albanian MP went on to say: “The decision taken is based on real findings… We are 100 percent convinced that Iran is behind this failed cyberattack on the digital infrastructure of Albania.”

He called on Iran to change its behavior of supporting terrorism around the world: “We would love to see Iran changing its orientation of the last decade, becoming a democracy, and stopping sponsoring any kind of terrorism.”

Simultaneously, Britain announced that its National Cyber Security Centre has identified actors linked to the Iranian state who are “almost certainly” responsible for the cyberattack targeting the Albanian government in July.

“Iran’s reckless actions showed a blatant disregard for the Albanian people, severely restricting their ability to access essential public services,” British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement. “The UK is supporting our valuable partner and NATO ally. We join Albania and other allies in exposing Iran’s unacceptable actions.”

On the other hand, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said that Tehran strongly condemned Albania’s decision to cut diplomatic ties with it, and rejected Tirana’s reasons for taking this step, describing it as “baseless allegations.”

Albania cut diplomatic ties with Iran on Wednesday and expelled its diplomats after a July cyberattack it blamed on Iran, a move backed by Washington which vowed to respond to the attack on its NATO ally.

Albanian counter-terrorism police searched the empty Iranian embassy in Tirana on Thursday, hours after Iranian diplomats burned papers inside the premises following the severing of diplomatic ties over a cyberattack.

Albania cut diplomatic relations with Iran on Wednesday, when Prime Minister Edi Rama blamed the cyberattack, which took place in July, on the Islamic Republic, and gave its diplomats 24 hours to close the embassy and leave the country.

The police, wearing masks and helmets and carrying automatic rifles, entered the building — situated just 200 meters (yards) from Rama’s office — after two cars with diplomatic plates had left, a Reuters reporter saw.

Thirty minutes later, the police were still inside.

The same reporter earlier saw a man inside the embassy throwing papers into a rusty barrel, with flames illuminating the walls of the three-story building.

Police officers stand in front of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran as Albania cuts ties with Iran and orders diplomats to leave over cyberattack, in Tirana, Albania, on September 7, 2022. (Reuters)

Rama said the July cyberattack has “threatened to paralyze public services, erase digital systems and hack into state records, steal government intranet electronic communication and stir chaos and insecurity in the country.”

Washington, Albania’s closest ally, also blamed Iran for the attack and promised to “take further action to hold Iran accountable for actions that threaten the security of a US ally.”

Tehran has strongly condemned Tirana’s decision to cut its diplomatic ties, describing the reasons for the move as “baseless claims.”

Bilateral relations have been tense since 2014, when Albania accepted some 3,000 members of the exiled opposition group People’s Mujahideen Organization of Iran — also known by its Farsi name Mujahideen-e-Khalq — who have settled in a camp near Durres, the country’s main port.

Days after the cyberattack Tirana based media have reported that hackers have published personal data of the opposition members that were saved in Albania’s state computers such as personal, social and security numbers, names, and photos.

On Thursday morning, it appeared calm outside the embassy in Tirana.

A black Audi with diplomatic car plates and darkened windows was seen going in and out as a police officer guarded the entrance.