Revolutionary Guards Signal Potential Strike Against Opposition Base in Albania

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also known as the Revolutionary Guards, announced via its Telegram channel that Iran is considering an attack on the headquarters of the People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) located at the Ashraf-3 base in Albania.

Key Developments:

• The IRGC suggested a strike against the Ashraf-3 base in Albania, where MEK members are stationed
• Tirana previously severed diplomatic relations with Tehran following a 2022 cyberattack
• The United States warned that another attack on Albania could trigger NATO Article 5

A Dangerous Declaration from Iran: Threats of Prolonged Conflict

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conveyed through its Telegram channel that it is considering an attack on the headquarters of the People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) at Ashraf-3 base. The statement indicated that Albania, which has hosted Iranian opposition for over a decade, could become a target of retaliation, similar to the British base in Akrotiri, Cyprus. By signaling a possible strike against Albania, the IRGC has made clear that it possesses military capabilities to extend military operations far beyond the Middle East.

Is This a New Phase of Iran-MEK Escalation?

The History of MEK

The origins of MEK date back to 1965, when students fascinated by socialism united in protests against the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and American presence in Iran.

The organization initially supported Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and the Islamic Revolution, which toppled the Shah in 1979. However, after breaking with the mullahs governing the country, it relocated to neighboring Iraq, where it revised its position on the revolution and found support from Saddam Hussein.

MEK found sanctuary in Albania in 2013, when the United States, backed by the United Nations, first removed the organization from its list of terrorist groups, then convinced Tirana’s authorities to provide them safe haven. Currently, at least 3,000 Iranian exiles reside in this Balkan country, at a base between Tirana and the coastal city of Durrës.

Will an Attack Trigger NATO Article 5?

Albania’s hospitality to MEK, however, came at a cost—deteriorating relations with Iran. Year after year, these ties grew increasingly tense until Tehran decided to strike. In 2022, Iranian hackers infiltrated Albania’s Interior Ministry systems, forcing the country to close its airports and seaports. Tirana severed diplomatic relations with Tehran at that time, while Washington warned Iran that a subsequent attack would trigger Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, which stipulates that an armed attack on one or more members shall be considered an attack against the entire Alliance.

Iran refrained from further cyberattacks, but last year, the Fars news agency, managed by the IRGC, incited Tehran’s government to bomb MEK camps near Tirana using drones or ballistic missiles. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was recently killed in American airstrikes, repeatedly cursed Albania, calling it a „small, evil state.”