Albania coming at the center of US-Iran showdown

Different international parties find themselves embroiled in growing tensions between the United States and Iran because of their positions toward the two sides.
Albania is one of these
international parties. This state found itself part of the conflict between the
US and Iran because of the presence of some of the members of the People's
Mojahedin Organization of Iran, or the Mojahedin-e Khalq, an Iranian political-militant
organization, in it.
This was particularly true after
the organization welcomed the latest assassination of the commander of the
Iranian Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani.
This prompted an angry reaction
from Iranian supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who criticized Albania, also a member
of NATO.
There is a small evil European
state, he said, where Americans gather to conspire against the Islamic
Republic.
This coincided with a decision by
the government of Albania to kick out two Iranian diplomats against the
background of their involvement in what it called "inappropriate
activities.
Conflict
Albania's involvement in the
conflict between the US and Iran has a background. In 2013, Albania allowed
3,000 members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq organization to live in it. The Iranian
regime brands the same organization "terrorist"
Albanian government officials
said the decision to allow the members of the organization to live in Albania
was taken on a human basis and to protect them against the Iranian regime.
Albania increased Iranian anger
against it when it joined a US-led naval coalition to protect maritime straits
in June 2019. The coalition was formed after a rise in Iranian threats to the
maritime movement in the Arab Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
In October 2019, Albania said it
succeeded in arresting the members of an Iranian terrorist cell that planned
attacks against the Mojahedin-e Khalq members living in it.
Albanian police said, meanwhile,
that the members of the terrorist cell could have been linked to Quds Force.
Threats
The members of the Mojahedin-e
Khalq organization in Albania feel threatened, especially after Iran vowed to
avenge Soleimani's assassination.
Khamenei's recent criticism of
Albania increases these fears even more.
There are fears also that Iran
can target Albania because of its collaboration with the US. It may want to
prove the US incapable of protecting its allies by attacking one of these
allies.