Before Iran escalated to direct missile strikes against Israel and Gulf states, it frequently targeted its adversaries in cyberspace. One of the clearest – yet underreported – examples occurred in 2022, when Iranian state-linked hackers launched a crippling attack on Albania. The cyberattacks shut down government systems and compromised sensitive data. Tirana responded by severing diplomatic ties with Tehran.

Fourteen Israeli cyber-defense firms dispatched to Tirana, where they stabilized Albanian networks and mitigated the damage. Prime Minister Edi Rama said “Israel stood by our side like a true friend and saved us.” His visit to Israel in January 2026 confirmed that this was not a one-off episode, but the beginning of a deeper strategic alignment.

A Shared Adversary 

The 2026 Iran War has brought the countries even closer together. During the war, Albania aligned itself with Israel and the United States, supporting military strikes and advocating tougher sanctions against Tehran. Iran, in response, Iran sought to undermine Albania’s internal stability.

This year, as protests known as the “Flamingo Revolution” spread across Albania, Rama accused Iran of amplifying unrest through coordinated disinformation campaigns. While Tehran denied involvement, much of the online discourse surrounding the protests included anti-Israel and anti-Zionist messaging – consistent with past Iranian information operations. Rama highlighted the protests’ antisemitic nature, which he said come from “enemies of Israel and Albania.”

For Israeli policymakers, this dynamic is familiar.........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)