Iran blames US, Israel after Albania expels diplomats

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran is blaming the United States and Israel for Albania’s expulsion of two Iranian diplomats accused of engaging in criminal activities that threatened the small European country’s security.

The official IRNA news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi as saying “Albania has become an unintentional victim of the United States, Israel and some terrorists groups.”

He says the U.S. and Israel are working to destroy relations between Iran and European countries, and that Albania should not allow others to dictate its relations with Tehran.

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton praised Albania in a tweet for expelling “the Iranian ambassador, signalling to Iran’s leaders that their support for terrorism will not be tolerated.”