Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Tuesday that Australia has expelled Iran’s ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi along with three other embassy staff members, accusing them of involvement in antisemitic attacks.
The decision followed findings by Australia’s domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, which linked Iran to a firebombing at a Sydney kosher restaurant in October 2023 and an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue two months later.
Albanese said that while not every antisemitic crime in Australia was tied to Tehran, intelligence confirmed Iran’s direct role in coordinating at least these two incidents.
He described the acts as foreign interference designed to spread division in Australian society.
In response, Canberra has closed its embassy in Tehran, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirming that all Australian diplomats were safely relocated to third countries before the announcement.
Wong also urged Australians to avoid travel to Iran, warning of risks of arbitrary detention.
ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess stated that Iran used a network of intermediaries to conceal its role, while Interior Minister Tony Burke confirmed that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has now been listed as a terrorist organization in Australia.
Although no injuries were reported in the attacks, authorities stressed that the damage and fear caused were significant.
The government said the expulsions signal a firm stance against state-backed aggression and threats to social cohesion.