Canberra: Australia has expelled Iran’s ambassador and three other diplomats after accusing Tehran of orchestrating two antisemitic arson attacks in Melbourne and Sydney, in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described as a “dangerous assault on Australian sovereignty.”
The expulsions mark the first time since World War II that Australia has formally removed a foreign envoy. The government also confirmed that it will move to classify Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, reflecting growing concerns about Tehran’s activities abroad.
According to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), credible intelligence links Iran to a December 2024 firebombing at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne and an earlier arson attack targeting Lewis’ Continental Kitchen, a kosher café in Sydney. Both incidents caused significant property damage and deepened fears within Australia’s Jewish community.
“These were not isolated acts of hatred,” Albanese said. “They were coordinated operations by a foreign power on our soil, aimed at instilling fear and division.”
Australia has also suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran and evacuated its diplomats for security reasons. Iranian officials have rejected the allegations, dismissing Canberra’s actions as politically motivated.