The Australian government has expelled Iran’s ambassador, Ahmad Sadeghi, and three other Iranian officials, severing diplomatic relations with Tehran following claims by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) that Iran was involved in two anti-Semitic attacks on Australian soil.
Kabul 24: ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess alleged, without providing substantial evidence, that Iran orchestrated an attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne in December 2024 and Louis Continental Kitchen restaurant in Sydney in October 2024, and may be linked to additional incidents.
The attacks, described as deliberate arson, caused significant damage but no casualties.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese labeled the alleged actions “dangerous and aggressive,” claiming Iran aimed to undermine Australia’s social cohesion.
He announced that the government would designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. Foreign Minister Penny Wong stated that the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador marks the first such action since World War II.
Wong added that Australia has suspended its embassy operations in Tehran due to security concerns, urging Australian citizens to avoid travel to Iran and those currently in Iran to leave immediately if possible.
According to reports, Sadeghi and the three other Iranian officials must depart Australia within seven days.
ASIO claims the attacks were coordinated through foreign proxies by the IRGC, with no direct involvement from Iranian embassy staff or diplomats in Australia.
The decision comes amid a reported rise in anti-Semitic incidents in Australia since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October 2023.
