Why it matters:
Iran’s has longstanding diplomatic ties with Bosnia, forged during the war on the country when Tehran provided humanitarian and political support to the predominantly Muslim Bosniak community.
Flashback:
A war happened between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Serbs in 1992, during which devastating crimes were committed against Muslims. One of the most horrific of these was the Srebrenica massacre—an area designated as a “safe zone” by the United Nations. When Muslims sought refuge there, the zone was overtaken by Serbian forces, leading to the mass killing of 8,000 Muslims in less than a week.
- Izetbegović, who led Bosnia from 1990 until 2000, remains a revered but polarizing figure for his advocacy of Islamic identity within a multiethnic state.
Go deeper:
Bosnia Opens Condolence Book for Victims of Israeli–U.S. Terror Attacks on Iran
46th Anniversary of Victory of Islamic Revolution in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Hossein Amiri