The Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, has blamed Iran for fueling protests against an ambitious luxury tourist complex project associated with a company owned by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. According to the leader, the campaign was allegedly driven by fake news spread on social media against the urban development plan foreseen in the natural environment of Vjosa-Narta, an enclave that hosts pink flamingos, eagles, and other species, including the monk seal.
In his statements to the media, Rama maintained that "There are enemies of Albania that we know well. The Iranian regime, long involved in cyberattacks against our country, is part of the effort to spread the narrative that the project aims to bring Palestinians from Gaza to Albania. This narrative has received a lot of attention."
The Prime Minister insisted that "fake videos with hundreds of thousands of views have been distributed, claiming that Albanians are chanting 'Israel, go home.' All of this is false," emphasizing that the real "objective is not to harm nature" but to "create" a "unique" opportunity for the local population that contributes to boosting the country's economy.
The tourism development, promoted by Kushner's investment firm, Affinity Partners, is valued at approximately 1.4 billion euros and focuses on Sazan, an uninhabited island off the Albanian coast that previously served as a military base. A luxury resort with capacity for up to 10,000 rooms is planned to be built there, which has sparked controversy due to its scale.
Environmental organizations have warned that the plan has financial backing from sovereign funds and investors from Qatar and will have a direct impact on the protected landscape of Vjosa-Narta, an area that hosts over 70 endangered species and more than 200 bird species, including flamingos and pelicans, which increases environmental concern.
In 2024, President Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, recounted that she "discovered" the island—full of Soviet-era tunnels and bunkers—during a boat trip through southern Albania, in Zvernec, and "fell in love" with it, which helped put the enclave on the radar of international investors.
In parallel, the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SPAK) has initiated proceedings for alleged prevarication and influence peddling, following the speed with which in 2024 legal and administrative changes were approved that eliminated the "protected area" status of hundreds of hectares of the Albanian coast to facilitate the construction of this luxury resort linked to the Trump family.