Albania declares Iran’s IRGC as terrorist organisation

Albania’s Parliament on March 17 passed a resolution designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, with 79 lawmakers from Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party voting in favour.

The resolution also identifies Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Taulant Balla, leader of the Socialist parliamentary group, said the resolution seeks to condemn state backing of terrorism, the deployment of proxy groups to destabilise, and hybrid tactics, including cyberattacks targeting sovereign institutions.

“For Albania, this is not just a distant geopolitical issue,” Balla added, highlighting that the country has been a target of cyberattacks.

Albania held Iran’s Foreign Ministry responsible for a July 2022 cyberattack that disrupted government IT systems and shut down online public services for several days.

Officials noted that the attack was likely retaliation for Albania hosting members of an Iranian opposition group, prompting the Albanian government to sever diplomatic ties with Iran.

By Jeyhun Aghazada