Brisbane, Australia
—
Australia is expelling the Iranian ambassador to Canberra after the country’s intelligence agency found that Iran was behind at least two antisemitic attacks on Australian soil.
Australia’s Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) had linked Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to two arson attacks last year, targeting a Jewish-owned restaurant in Sydney and the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told a press conference.
“These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil,” Albanese said.
The Iranian ambassador, Ahmad Sadeghi, and three other diplomatic staff have been given seven days to leave the country, Albanese said. It’s the first time Australia has expelled a foreign ambassador since the second World War.
Australia has also suspended operations at its embassy in Iran for the safety of its consular officials, and Australians in Iran have been urged to leave the country.
Albanese said Iran’s IRGC – an elite wing of the Iranian military considered instrumental in crushing dissent at home and projecting Iran’s power abroad by funding militia across the Middle East – would also be listed as a terrorist agency. The US moved to declare it a terrorist group in 2019.
“I’ve said many times that the Australian people want two things: They want killing in the Middle East to stop, and they don’t want conflict in the Middle East brought here. Iran has sought to do just that,” Albanese added.
“They have sought to harm and terrify Jewish Australians and to sow hatred and division in our community,” he said.
ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess said the antisemitic attacks in Australia were directed by the IRGC and carried out by “a layer cake” of intermediaries.
“This was directed by the IRGC through a series of overseas cut-out facilitators to coordinators that found their way to tasking Australians,” he said.
The two attacks linked to Iran by ASIO include an arson attack in October, 2024, on the Lewis’ Continental Kitchen near Bondi Beach in Sydney, which had served Sydneysiders kosher food for more than 50 years.
The second attack was on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne last December, when two masked assailants were seen throwing liquid inside the premises before setting it alight.
Counter-terrorism investigators in Victoria have charged two men over the Adass synagogue attack. The most recent arrest was made last week. Police allege three individuals broke into the place of worship and deliberately set it on fire.
Antisemitic attacks in Australia have surged since the start of Israel’s retaliation for Hamas’ cross-border attack on October 7, 2023.
“ASIO is still investigating possible Iranian involvement in a number of other attacks. But I want to stress, we do not believe the regime is responsible for every act of antisemitism in Australia,” Burgess said.
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke called Iran’s actions an “extraordinary attack” that reached a “new and totally unacceptable low.”
“Australia was attacked and Australia was harmed,” Burke said.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged Australians to leave Iran as the government’s ability to protect them would be “extremely limited.”
“I urge any Australian who might be considering traveling to Iran, please do not do so. Our message is, if you are an Australian in Iran, leave now if it is safe to do so,” she said.
While there has yet to be any official comment from Iran’s government, Iranian media were quick to denounce Canberra’s claims of the country’s involvement in the attacks. The state-affiliated Fars news agency said Australia had made “unfounded allegations,” while the semi-official Tasnim news agency said Iran’s ambassador was being expelled under “false pretenses”
Iran’s embassy in Canberra did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.
This story has been updated with additional information