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Iranian Diplomats Leave Embassy in Albania after Expulsion

A policeman stands guard outside the Iranian Embassy in Tirana, Albania, Wednesday Sept. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Franc Zhurda)
A policeman stands guard outside the Iranian Embassy in Tirana, Albania, Wednesday Sept. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Franc Zhurda)
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Iranian Diplomats Leave Embassy in Albania after Expulsion

A policeman stands guard outside the Iranian Embassy in Tirana, Albania, Wednesday Sept. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Franc Zhurda)
A policeman stands guard outside the Iranian Embassy in Tirana, Albania, Wednesday Sept. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Franc Zhurda)

The last staff of the Iranian Embassy in Tirana left the building Thursday after they were given 24 hours to leave Albania over a major cyberattack that the Albanian government blames on Iran.

The final two embassy cars with about 10 passengers left the compound Thursday near noon after much movement inside the building overnight.

Albanian special police forces and officers were seen surrounding the compound, which still flew the Iranian flag, immediately after the Iranians left.

Movement inside the Iranian embassy in Tirana had been nonstop overnight. An empty barrel was seen taken into the compound and later a fire was started in it, apparently burning documents, The Associated Press reported.

Reuters also said that a witness saw a man from inside the embassy throwing papers in a rusted barrel, with flames illuminating the walls of the three-story embassy.

A diplomatic car went in and out, while an Albanian police officer communicated with the embassy before two officers entered and left after a few minutes.

On July 15, a cyberattack temporarily shut down numerous Albanian government digital services and websites. Prime Minister Edi Rama said Wednesday that there was “undeniable evidence” that the Iranian government was behind the attack.

Albanian counter-terrorism police searched the empty Iranian embassy later on Thursday.

The police, wearing masks and helmets and carrying automatic rifles, entered the building - situated just 200 meters from Rama's office.

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UN: Record 281 Aid Workers Killed in 2024

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has seen more than 200 staff killed since the Gaza war began. Eyad BABA / AFP/File
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has seen more than 200 staff killed since the Gaza war began. Eyad BABA / AFP/File
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UN: Record 281 Aid Workers Killed in 2024

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has seen more than 200 staff killed since the Gaza war began. Eyad BABA / AFP/File
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has seen more than 200 staff killed since the Gaza war began. Eyad BABA / AFP/File

A staggering 281 aid workers have been killed around the world so far this year, making 2024 the deadliest year for humanitarians, the UN aid chief said Friday.
"Humanitarian workers are being killed at an unprecedented rate, their courage and humanity being met with bullets and bombs," said Tom Fletcher, the United Nations' new under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator.
With more than a month left to go of 2024, the "grim milestone was reached", he said, after 280 humanitarians were killed across 33 countries during all of 2023.
"This violence is unconscionable and devastating to aid operations," Fletcher said.
Israel's devastating war in Gaza was driving up the numbers, his office said, with 333 aid workers killed there -- most from the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees, UNRWA -- since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attacks, which sparked the war, AFP reported.
"States and parties to conflict must protect humanitarians, uphold international law, prosecute those responsible, and call time on this era of impunity," Fletcher said.
Aid workers were subject to kidnappings, injuries, harassment and arbitrary detention in a range of countries, his office said, including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and Ukraine.
The majority of deaths involve local staff working with non-governmental organizations, UN agencies and the Red Cross Red Crescent movement, Fletcher's office said.
"Violence against humanitarian personnel is part of a broader trend of harm to civilians in conflict zones," it warned.
"Last year, more than 33,000 civilian deaths were recorded in 14 armed conflicts -- a staggering 72 per cent increase from 2022."
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution last May in response to the surging violence and threats against aid workers.
The text called for recommendations from the UN chief -- set to be presented at a council meeting next week -- on measures to prevent and respond to such incidents and to increase protection for humanitarian staff and accountability for abuses.