‘Face the music’: Iran hits back at Albanian PM over ‘hybrid war’ allegations amid protests

Iran has sharply rejected accusations by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama that Tehran is fueling anti-government protests in the country, urging him to show some respect for the intelligence and judgment of his own people.

Taking to X on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei mocked Rama’s claims that Iran was waging a “hybrid war” of disinformation in the country, telling the Albanian leader to “calm down” and “face the music.”

“It was YOU, sir, who started this. So you should face the music!" Baghaei wrote, urging the prime minister to listen to protesters chanting, “No to corruption,” “We want justice,” and “Rama leave.”

"They are perceptive enough to distinguish truth from falsehood," he said, referring to the Albanian nation. "If you choose to sell your national sovereignty, that is your decision."

"But when confronted by the outrage and criticism of your own public, please do not use others as a convenient scapegoat to evade accountability," Baghaei added.

He said that instead of making "hackneyed baseless accusations against Iran," Rama should "take a moment to listen to your own people."

In an interview with Politico, Rama accused Tehran of spreading disinformation about the protests against a proposed $1.4 billion tourism project on Albania’s southern coast, linked to US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

At a press conference on Monday, Baghaei  said Albanian authorities “prefer to try to close the matter with these laughable accusations against Iran.”

'Flamingo Revolution': Albanians rally to save wetlands from Trump-Kushner family $4bn luxury project

Hundreds of thousands of Albanians have taken to the streets in recent weeks against the Trump-Kushner family

The protest movement in Albania, dubbed the “Flamingo Revolution,” erupted on April 30 after a section of coastline in Zvernec, near the southern city of Vlora, was fenced off and placed under private security.

The land, which was protected until controversial legal changes were introduced in 2024, forms part of a development project led by  Kushner’s private equity firm, Affinity Partners. The project, which also includes nearby Sazan Island, aims to build a luxury tourist resort.

Under the plan, Sazan Island would be transformed into a 1,400-hectare resort featuring hotels, wellness centres, and high-end tourist facilities.

Affinity Partners is backed by sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Protesters say the government has transferred strategic coastal land to foreign investors without adequate transparency, public consultation or environmental review.

Rama, however, has dismissed protesters as manipulated by foreign interests, suggesting that the project would not have attracted international attention without Kushner's involvement and implying that the criticism is politically motivated.

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