An investigation into a cyberattack against the Albanian government that determined the government of Iran was behind the attack has caused Albania to sever relations with Iran.
The U.S. National Security Council (NSC) carried out the investigation into the July 15 cyberattack, a White House press statement said this week.
“The United States strongly condemns Iran’s cyberattack against our NATO Ally, Albania,” Adrienne Watson, White House National Security Council spokesperson, said in the statement. “We join in Prime Minister Rama’s call for Iran to be held accountable for this unprecedented cyber incident. The United States will take further action to hold Iran accountable for actions that threaten the security of a U.S. ally and set a troubling precedent for cyberspace.”
Diplomatic ties between Albania and Iran were severed following the conclusion of the NSC's investigation, a Sept. 7 Reuters report said. On Wednesday, Albania ordered Iranian diplomats and embassy staff to vacate the country within 24 hours. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that the government decided to immediately end diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The U.S. government was on-site working with private sector partners to support Albania’s efforts to mitigate damage and recover from the cyberattack, Watson said in the statement.
Iran hired four groups to carry out the cyberattack on Albania, a BBC News report said this week. The hackers had attempted to interfere with public services, delete and steal government data, and incite chaos. Relations between the two countries have been tense since 2014, when Albania offered asylum to thousands of Iranian dissidents.
The Iranian Embassy has yet to respond.
