Australian Government
Australia has ordered Iran’s ambassador to leave within seven days, accusing Tehran of orchestrating antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Tuesday that intelligence agencies had uncovered connections between Iran and two arson incidents: one targeting a café in Sydney last October and another at a synagogue in Melbourne last December. He said the attacks represented deliberate attempts “to undermine social cohesion and sow division in our community.”
Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi, along with three additional Iranian officials, has been instructed to depart. Canberra has also withdrawn its own diplomats from Tehran. Iran, however, has “absolutely rejected” the claims. A spokesperson for its foreign ministry insisted the expulsion was “driven by Australia’s domestic politics” rather than factual evidence.
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) chief, Mike Burgess, detailed the findings, stating investigators had traced the operations back to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The investigation, which he described as “painstaking” and months in length, concluded that the IRGC had deployed a network of criminal intermediaries to mask its role.
“They’re using cut-outs, including criminals and organised crime groups, to do their bidding or to direct their operations,” Burgess explained. He said the IRGC relied on a “complex web of proxies” to conceal its hand in the Sydney arson at the Lewis Continental Kitchen on 20 October, and the 6 December blaze at Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue.
ASIO has also gathered evidence suggesting Iran may have been involved in other antisemitic incidents across Australia. Jewish communities have reported attacks on schools, synagogues, vehicles and homes since Hamas’s assault on Israel on 7 October 2023 and the subsequent Gaza war. Hamas is a close ally of Iran.
At the same time, civil society organisations such as the Islamophobic Register have documented a parallel rise in anti-Muslim incidents during this period.
Back in January, police acknowledged they were examining whether foreign actors could be linked to escalating vandalism and violence against Jewish institutions. On Tuesday, Albanese described the latest intelligence as “deeply disturbing” and branded the incidents “extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression.”
The Melbourne synagogue attack was particularly traumatic, as worshippers were forced to evacuate while flames spread through the building, which had been founded by Holocaust survivors in the 1960s. Foreign Minister Penny Wong underlined the gravity of Australia’s decision, noting it was the first time since the Second World War that Canberra had expelled an ambassador.
Although Burgess clarified that Ambassador Sadeghi himself had no direct involvement in the attacks, Wong confirmed Australia had halted operations at its Tehran embassy for the safety of its staff. She urged Australians to avoid travelling to Iran and advised those already there to leave as soon as safely possible.
Albanese also revealed his government intends to formally designate the IRGC as a terrorist organisation.
Israel’s embassy in Canberra applauded the measures, releasing a statement on X that said, “Iran’s regime is not only a threat to Jews or Israel, it endangers the entire free world, including Australia.” Israel recently fought a 12-day conflict with Iran in June.
