In a Balkan Insight op-ed, Vuk Vuksanovic, a PhD researcher in International Relations at the London School of Economics, warns that Balkan countries, including BiH, could get caught in the crossfire of Middle East conflicts. He writes:
Iran has a long history of supporting various political and military figures and groups in [BiH]. In the 1992-5 war in Bosnia, Iran lent support to various Muslim combat units, securing funds, arms, training and intelligence data for several formations, such as the 7th Muslim Brigade. Iranian intelligence thereby gained a foothold in Bosnia that remained strong even in the post-war years. In 2014, Bosnia expelled Iranian diplomats with an intelligence background for making contacts with suspected jihadists in Gornja Maoca, a village notorious as a hub for hard-line Wahhabism and Salafism.’
Vuksanovic further writes:
Saudi Arabia has also been expanding its presence in Muslim parts of Bosnia, while Israel has emerged as one of the main supporters of Serbian entity in Bosnia, Republika Srpska. In that context, the Balkans, and particularly Bosnia, could become a battleground on the side for larger rivalries being played out in the Middle East. Feeling cornered by the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia, Iran may be tempted to disrupt its adversaries in Bosnia, using political proxies, armed non-state actors, and intelligence services, particularly as both Israel and Saudi Arabia have greater sway in the Balkans than Iran.
