Iran Thanks Türkiye for Assistance in Opening an Interests Section in Albania

An Albanian policeman in front of the Iranian embassy in Tirana last September. (AFP)
An Albanian policeman in front of the Iranian embassy in Tirana last September. (AFP)
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Iran Thanks Türkiye for Assistance in Opening an Interests Section in Albania

An Albanian policeman in front of the Iranian embassy in Tirana last September. (AFP)
An Albanian policeman in front of the Iranian embassy in Tirana last September. (AFP)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian announced that Tehran has agreed to open an interests section through Türkiye in Albania, six months after severing diplomatic relations with Tirana.

During a phone call with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, Amirabdollahian said the Foreign Ministry would open a section of Iranian interests in Albania, thanking Ankara for its assistance regard.

Last September, the Albanian government expelled the Iranian embassy staff from the country over a major cyberattack that the government blamed on Iran. It is the first known case of a country cutting diplomatic relations over a cyberattack.

Relations between Tehran and Tirana had been strained in recent years after the Balkan country agreed to receive 3,000 members of the People's Mojahedin Organization, the Iranian opposition group in exile, at the request of the US and the UN in 2013.

In July, the Mojahedin postponed the "Free Iran World Summit" global conference in Albania that was dedicated to advocating regime change, due to security threats, upon recommendations by the Albanian government.

Before canceling the conference, the US embassy in Tirana separately warned of a "potential threat" targeting the summit and warned its citizens in Albania to avoid the event and keep a low profile.



Europeans Warn Iran of UN Sanctions Unless Concrete Progress on Nuclear Talks

Traffic flows past a huge billboard bearing a painting of a missile falling on Israel with the slogan in Farsi: "The missile has fallen amidst the demons", on a main road in central Tehran on July 16, 2025. (AFP)
Traffic flows past a huge billboard bearing a painting of a missile falling on Israel with the slogan in Farsi: "The missile has fallen amidst the demons", on a main road in central Tehran on July 16, 2025. (AFP)
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Europeans Warn Iran of UN Sanctions Unless Concrete Progress on Nuclear Talks

Traffic flows past a huge billboard bearing a painting of a missile falling on Israel with the slogan in Farsi: "The missile has fallen amidst the demons", on a main road in central Tehran on July 16, 2025. (AFP)
Traffic flows past a huge billboard bearing a painting of a missile falling on Israel with the slogan in Farsi: "The missile has fallen amidst the demons", on a main road in central Tehran on July 16, 2025. (AFP)

France, Britain and Germany told Iran on Thursday that they wanted Tehran to resume diplomacy immediately over its nuclear program and warned if there were no concrete steps by the end of the summer they would restore UN sanctions. 

The foreign ministers of the so-called E3, along with the European Union's foreign policy chief, held their first call with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi since Israel and the United States carried out air strikes in mid-June on Iran's nuclear program. 

Speaking after the call, a French diplomatic source said the ministers had called on Iran to resume diplomatic efforts immediately to reach a "verifiable and lasting" nuclear deal. 

The three countries, along with China and Russia, are the remaining parties to a 2015 deal with Iran that lifted sanctions on the country in return for restrictions on its nuclear program. 

A UN Security Council resolution which enshrines the deal expires on October 18 and under its terms UN sanctions can be re-imposed beforehand. The process would take about 30 days. 

The Europeans have repeatedly warned that unless there is a new nuclear accord they will launch the "snapback mechanism", which would restore all previous UN sanctions on Iran if it is found to be in violation of the agreement's terms. 

"The ministers also reiterated their determination to use the so-called 'snapback' mechanism in the absence of concrete progress toward such an agreement by the end of the summer," the diplomatic source said. 

The source did not elaborate what concrete progress would entail. 

Since the air strikes, inspectors from the UN atomic watchdog have left Iran. While Iran has suggested it is open to diplomacy, there are no indications a sixth round of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran will resume imminently. 

Diplomats say that even if they were to resume talks, reaching a comprehensive accord before the end of August - the final deadline the Europeans have given - seems unrealistic, especially without inspectors on the ground to assess Iran's remaining nuclear program. 

Two European diplomats said they hoped to coordinate strategy with the United States in the coming days with a view to possibly holding talks with Iran soon.