U.S.–Iran Tensions in Europe

The U.S. Embassy in Tirana recently issued a security alert urging American citizens in Albania to exercise increased vigilance after warning of possible attacks linked to Iran or Iran-aligned actors; the advisory focused on popular destinations and travel routes and did not, in publicly shared language, allege a specific, imminent plot. The warning comes amid long-running tensions between Tehran and Albania stemming largely from Albania's role as host to exiled Iranian dissidents: roughly 3,000 members of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) have been relocated to Albania since 2013 with U.S. and U.N. assistance, a fact that has periodically made the country a focal point in Iran's regional disputes.