Gholamhossein Mohammadnia (born 3 August 1970) [1] is an Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) official. He is also a former member of the nuclear talks negotiations team. [2] He was Iran's ambassador to Albania from August, 2016, [2] until December, 2018, when he was expelled from the country for "damaging its national security." [3]
The foreign ministry stated that the decision to expel Mohammadnia was made in coordination with "ally countries" due to their "actions against diplomatic rules." [4] US officials welcomed the decision, stating that it communicated that "terrorist activities in Europe" would not be tolerated. [5]
Some media reports see his expulsion in connection with a failed terrorist plot in 2016 against the Israeli soccer team in Tirana, [3] [6] while others link it to a foiled terrorist plot against the opposition group People's Mujahedin of Iran. [7] [8] [9] In 2022, Albania expelled the remaining Iranian embassy staff from the country due to a cyberattack. [10]
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also imposed sanctions on Mohammadnia in 2025 for playing a role in the disappearance of Robert Levinson. [11] [12] The Treasury Department said that Mohammadnia "led an effort to blame Mr. Levinson's detention on a terrorist group in Pakistan's Baluchistan region in order to shift blame away from the Iranian government." [13]
