Memorie.al / The history of communist Albania’s international relations is filled with behind-the-scenes intrigue and unexpected turns, where often ideology and major alliances dictated the fate of bilateral relations. One of these specific moments, though widely undocumented, is the 1973 attempt to establish diplomatic relations between Enver Hoxha’s communist Albania and the Monarchy of Iran, headed by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
The Ceremony at the Presidium of the People’s Assembly
In March 1973, in the premises of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly (today the Presidency building), an official ceremony was held marking an important diplomatic step. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Monarchy of Iran, Alinaghi Said Ansari, presented his credentials to the Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly of the People’s Republic of Albania, Haxhi Lleshi. This meeting was not merely protocol; it reflected the political line that official Tirana of Enver Hoxha was following toward one of the largest states in the Middle East.
In this reception, besides the main protagonists, high-ranking personalities of the communist regime participated, such as the member of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Kahreman Ylli, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time, Nesti Nase. Their presence at that ceremony is documented by the newsreel produced by the filmmakers of the “Shqipëria e Re” Film Studio, as well as photos taken by ATSH (Albanian Telegraphic Agency) photographers. Likewise, in the photos in question, the presence of career diplomat Abdi Baleta and the Secretary of the Presidium, Xhafer Spahiu, can be seen.
It is worth noting that the Iranian ambassador, Ansari, was not resident in Tirana, but during that period, he served as Iran’s representative in Rome, and from the Italian capital, he also covered Albania, the small communist Balkan state, one of the poorest on the European continent.
The influence of China and geopolitical reality
This attempt at rapprochement between communist Albania and Iran did not come by chance. Official Tirana at the time was following the steps of its main ally, Mao Zedong’s People’s Republic of China, with which it had been closely linked since the break with the Soviet Union in 1961.
Beijing had established very close relations with the Shah of Iran, and Enver Hoxha, under this influence, tested the possibility of communication with Tehran. However, this short “thaw” of the ice would soon be struck by developments in the Middle East.
The Yom Kippur War and the Severing of Relations
Only eight months after the ceremony of presenting credentials in Tirana, by the Iranian ambassador in Rome who would also cover Albania, in October 1973, the Yom Kippur War broke out between Israel and the Arab states.
Iran, led by Shah Pahlavi, positioned itself as a key supplier of oil and weaponry to Tel Aviv and Golda Meir, aligning itself alongside Richard Nixon’s USA. This positioning of official Tehran caused a chain reaction in the communist states of the “Eastern Bloc,” led by Leonid Brezhnev’s Soviet Union.
Communist Albania, which maintained a radical pro-Arab stance following the line of the Baath Party (such as Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Libya), after these events, decided to sever any attempt at relations with Iran. Tirana’s rhetoric sharpened immediately. According to official Tirana, Shah Reza Pahlavi was transformed from a potential partner into a “puppet of American imperialism and Israeli Zionism.”
Cancellation of the Embassy and the End of an Era
After this, the plan for opening an Iranian embassy in Tirana was finally canceled. From October 1973 until the triumph of the Islamic Revolution in January 1979, Iran remained a target of Albanian propaganda, being accused as a: “tool of American imperialism,” etc. Enver Hoxha did not cease accusing the Iranian monarchy as “a threat to peace in the Middle East,” thus closing a chapter that began with handshakes in Tirana and ended with open ideological hostility.
The above-mentioned are also reflected in Enver Hoxha’s Political Diary (published in several issues by Memorie.al), which were later included in his book “Notes on the Middle East,” published in Tirana in April 1984, a year before his death. / Memorie.al
