A controversial energy project in Albania, backed by former U.S. Ambassador to Albania Yuri Kim, faces serious allegations of funding Turkish-Iranian companies linked to Iran’s military guard and hydrocarbon smuggling.
Albania’s Energy Deal Raises Red Flags
In 2022, amid the Ukraine war, Yuri Kim publicly supported a project to bring two Thermal Generation Ships (TGS) from Bangladesh to Albania for electricity production. The Albanian government expedited the procurement, raising concerns over transparency.
The American-supplied TGS vessels produce electricity at four times the cost of Albania’s energy exports, creating inefficiencies. Despite delays, contract obligations mandated their operation, requiring large fuel imports.
Albania’s Power Corporation (KESH) ordered 21,000 tons of fuel, worth $11 million, in November 2024. Hashtag.al obtained import documents showing KESH as the importer, though it lacked a fuel import license. The supplier, Swiss-based EMAD Energy S.A., sourced 20,000 tons from Algeria. Notably, “EMAD” is also the name of a powerful Iranian missile.
Leaked records show EMAD partnered with ASB Group, a Turkish firm sanctioned by the U.S. in 2023, to supply fuel to Albania.
Leaked Emails Expose Smuggling Network
Iran-Leaks emails revealed that in 2021, EMAD coordinated with ASB Group on an Albanian fuel shipment. Algeria’s Sonatrach, a state-run oil firm, priced a 3,400-ton shipment. Algeria’s close ties with Iran raised further concerns about Tehran’s involvement.
Investigations uncovered ASB Group’s deeper role in Albania. In 2020, ASB Group used Albania as a hub to smuggle $36 million worth of Iranian oil. MAC General Trading shpk, a Turkish company in Albania, facilitated this deal. Iran-Leaks showed email exchanges between MAC General Trading’s Murat Halli and ASB Group’s Kazim Oztaz discussing the transaction.
Oztaz was convicted in a U.S. court in 2023 for sanction violations. A leaked contract showed MAC General Trading directly purchasing Iranian fuel through Madolia Group, bypassing restrictions.
Albania’s Strategic Role in Iran’s Oil Network
Albania’s role in the smuggling operation is tied to political connections. Prime Minister Edi Rama’s relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan played a key part. Rama’s Energy Minister, Belinda Balluku, failed to prevent the sanction violations.
ASB Group’s owner, Sitki Ayan, a close ally of Erdoğan, leveraged influence over Albanian entities like KESH. Former Pentagon official Michael Rubin suggested Yuri Kim overlooked these dealings due to her aspirations to become U.S. Ambassador to Turkey.
These findings expose Albania’s strategic role in Iran’s oil smuggling network, highlighting growing concerns over political and financial ties.