Tirana, Albania | 19 Dec 2018 (Tirana Echo) – The United States have praised Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama after his government decided to expel Iran’s Ambassador and another diplomat due to national security concerns today.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House National Security Advisor John Bolton both praised Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama and pledged their support to Albania for expelling Iran’s Ambassador.
The news was first announced by the Assistant to US President for National Security Affairs Amb. John Bolton.
“Prime Minister Edi Rama of Albania just expelled the Iranian ambassador, signaling to Iran’s leaders that their support for terrorism will not be tolerated. We stand with PM Rama and the Albanian people as they stand up to Iran’s reckless behavior in Europe and across the globe.” – said Bolton on Twitter.
Minutes later US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo echoed US support for the small Balkan nation by tweeting “I commend PM Edi Rama’s expulsion of two Iranian agents who plotted terrorist attacks in #Albania. European nations have thwarted three Iranian plots this year alone. The world must stand together to sanction #Iran’s regime until it changes its destructive behavior.”
Local Albanian media have confirmed the expulsion was conducted in cooperation with international allies of the country, hinting at US and Israeli security services who had earlier detected a previous terror plot on Albanian soil.
There is no confirmation yet from Albania’s Foreign Ministry, but an undisclosed source told Tirana Echo, Iran’s Embassy had been actively engaged at planning a terrorist attack to murder one or more leading figures of Iran’s resistance Mojahedin movement (MEK) whose followers have been allowed to settle in Albania after their lives were put in danger in camps Ashraf and Liberty in Iraq.
The dissident group, also known as the Mujaheddin-e Khalq, has revealed information on Iran’s nuclear and terror activities over the years while several hundreds of its members have been killed in seven attacks on Camps Ashraf and Liberty in Iraq by the Iranian regime, the Iraqi army and the pro-regime Iraqi terrorist militias.
The late US Senator John McCain and US President Advisor Rudy Giuliani have both visited MEK and PMOI members in Tirana during the last 2 years and previously praised Albania’s efforts in providing shelter for Iran’s resistance movement.
During an interview for TV Klan’s Opinion show tonight, former US Representative Patrick Kennedy said that Iran’s regime had on several occasions attempted to infiltrate its security agents into Albania to murder MEK leaders but their operations had been exposed.
In July, the National Council of Resistance of Iran denounced the appointment of an Iranian Intelligence Agent Mostafa Roodaki, as the First Secretary of Iran Embassy in Albania for Conspiring Against the organization.
“Following the mullahs’ regime efforts against the PMOI in Albania, and deployment of intelligence and Quds Force agents to this country, the Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) appointed Mostafa Roodaki, a veteran agent of MOIS, as the first secretary of the regime’s embassy in Albania.” – said the PMOI Security and Counterterrorism Committee in a statement on their website.
Senior players such as Amb. Bolton and Secretary Pompeo in the Trump administration believe tougher US sanctions and a global coalition could eventually topple the Islamic regime of Iran, despite EU doubts.
Albania has been a loyal ally of the United States and the latest decision to expel Iran’s Ambassador is expected to further strengthen bilateral ties between Tirana and Washington, a much awaited sign by Albania’s leadership who had recently been concerned by President Trump’s lack of attention towards the Balkans, where Albania plays a crucial role.
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