On Tuesday, August 26, Australia expelled Iran’s ambassador, accusing Iran of orchestrating antisemitic arson attacks in Melbourne and Sydney.
This is the first expulsion of an ambassador by Australia since World War II.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shared that intelligence services concluded Iran directed at least two antisemitic attacks.
According to Albanese, Tehran was behind a fire attack at the Lewis Continental Cafe, a kosher establishment in Sydney’s Bondi, in October 2024.
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The intelligence also revealed Iran’s involvement in an arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne in December 2024.
No physical injuries were reported in either incident.
Albanese condemned these acts as “extraordinary and dangerous aggression by a foreign nation on Australian soil.”
He described them as attempts to disrupt social cohesion and create discord in the community, deeming them “totally unacceptable.”
In response, Australia declared Iranian ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi ‘persona non grata’ and ordered his departure along with three officials within seven days.
Australia also recalled its ambassador to Iran and suspended its embassy operations in Tehran.
The Australian diplomats are currently ‘safe in a third country’, according to the prime minister.
Australia plans to legislate the designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong noted this is the first ambassador expulsion in the post-war era.
Despite tensions, Australia will continue diplomatic communications with Iran to protect Australian interests, Wong stated.
‘Web of proxies’
Australia has maintained an embassy in Tehran since 1968.
While Australians have been advised against traveling to Iran since 2020, Wong warned that Canberra’s ability to offer consular help is now “extremely limited.”
“I understand many Australians have family ties in Iran, but I urge anyone considering travel there to refrain,” she advised.
“If you are an Australian in Iran, leave now if conditions allow.”
Australia’s spy chief Michael Burgess revealed a “painstaking” investigation linked the antisemitic attacks to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, stated the Guard directed at least two and likely more attacks on Jewish interests in Australia.
The Guard, Iran’s military’s ideological branch, used a complex network of proxies to conceal its involvement, Burgess noted.
However, Iran’s embassy in Australia and its diplomats were not implicated, according to the spy chief.
The Australian intelligence service continues to probe other possible Iranian-linked attacks, Burgess added.
“Iran’s actions are utterly unacceptable. They endangered lives, terrorized the community, and disrupted our social fabric,” he emphasized.
“Iran and its proxies metaphorically and literally ignited the flames.”
