Australia has formally accused Iran of orchestrating arson attacks on a Jewish restaurant in Sydney and a synagogue in Melbourne late last year, prompting the country to expel Iranian diplomats and shutter its embassy in Tehran. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, joined by security and other officials in Canberra, described the incidents as deliberate attempts by a foreign power to stoke division within Australian society, per the New York Times.
An investigation by Australian intelligence found evidence linking the attacks to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which Australia now intends to designate as a terrorist organization. Authorities say the Guards tapped into international criminal networks to obscure their role, but they stopped short of detailing the connections. No injuries were reported in the attacks, though damage was significant and the events rattled the Jewish community.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong noted this is the first time since World War II that Australia has ejected an ambassador, adding that Iran's actions "crossed a line." Iranian officials have seven days to leave, while Australia's own diplomats are already out of Iran. Wong urged Australians remaining in Iran to depart if possible. Iran's government, meanwhile, has denied the allegations, with state media there citing a spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry who says Iran "would take an appropriate decision in response to Australia's action," per Reuters.
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The move comes amid a rise in antisemitic incidents across the country, including arson, vandalism, and harassment of Jewish institutions. Intelligence chief Mike Burgess said dozens of such cases have been probed over the last year. The Australian Security Intelligence Organization "has now gathered enough credible intelligence to reach a deeply disturbing conclusion," Albanese told reporters, noting the agency believed Iran may have been behind more than just the two attacks, though he didn't elaborate, per the AP. "Iran has sought to disguise its involvement, but ASIO assesses it was behind the attacks."
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