The current international issue cannot be overlooked: the fear of an Iranian retaliation against Israel has sparked a new wave of tensions on the global stage. Following the bombing of the Tehran embassy in Damascus and the death of a key operative of the Revolutionary Guard, a critical point has been reached, amplifying suspicions and concerns worldwide.
 |
| Tirana, Skenderbej Square, a rainy day, March, 2022 |
Yesterday, U.S. President Joe Biden sternly warned Iran, further escalating tensions. However, intelligence from Western and Israeli services indicates that Iran has approximately 100 long-range missile launchers ready to initiate an attack the moment Iran's high council gives the 'Ok' signal.
Meanwhile, the concern, increasingly voiced by the CIA, Mossad, and other Western services, is that this retaliatory strike might not be isolated but accompanied by a series of terrorist attacks in several countries.
According to intelligence sources, Iran's leadership has declared not only its intention to retaliate against Israel but also to demonstrate Iran's capability to sow chaos globally.
One of the potential targets of these terrorist acts, as emphasized by intelligence reports, is Tirana, Albania. Indeed, Albania and Turkey are considered among the most mentioned locations in operational plans.
This concern arises precisely from the intersection of information from Turkish intelligence and Israeli intelligence.
Tel Aviv has its embassy in the heart of Tirana, in a tall building located near the Orthodox cathedral and the Supreme Court. Moreover, that area is highly frequented by both citizens and tourists.
Albania has been under Iranian cyberattacks for some time, with occasional cases considered attempts to bomb the camp of the Mujahideen, the opposition to Iran.
As learned, what happened last year in Manza was information from partner services that a terrorist attack would occur in that area. Edi Rama subsequently ordered a fierce police operation against the Mujahideen, fearing that an attack there would undermine tourism, not only in Lalzi Bay but across the country.
This fear still exists today, as the Iranian secret service believes the Mujahideen are nothing but part of an Israeli operation to undermine the Iranian regime in cyberspace and on the ground.
It has been the Mujahideen themselves who have revealed that the major protests a year ago in Iran were organized by them. Tehran believes everything was organized and supported by Israel.
Iran is present in Tirana, despite Albania severing diplomatic relations. Edi Rama, with the mediation of Erdogan, has agreed that this representation be in the Turkish embassy located in the hills of Sauk. This was done to avoid creating a hostile relationship and to halt cyberattacks. However, this did not happen, and Iranian hackers actually attacked the servers of the Albanian Parliament and those of INSTAT, jeopardizing census data.
Although Edi Rama failed in this attempt, where in a way he bowed to the Iranians, we are now in a new situation. After the Israeli attack in Damascus, Iran has promised a major retaliation. Moreover, a month ago, U.S. bases in Iraq were attacked. If American bases, the world's superpower, are targeted, what about Albania?
From a logical analysis perspective, this could be worrying; add to this the information from intelligence services. The fear is that there might be two simultaneous attacks, both in Tirana and in Manza. If this happens, the consequences could mean days of coverage on global television networks, bidding farewell to tourism this summer. And this is the greatest fear.
It is expected that soon the Security Council will convene, which will take strong measures to turn the country into a quasi-state of emergency for an unspecified period.