Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has accused Iran of directing two anti-Jewish attacks in his country. In response, he announced the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador in Canberra. He also stated that Australia will designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
The attacks occurred last year, one at the Lewis Continental Kitchen in Sydney and another at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne. In both cases, assailants set fire to the properties. There were no casualties, but the fires caused extensive damage.
Albanese called the events “extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression.” He said the actions were “orchestrated by a foreign nation” to hurt social cohesion in Australia. Mike Burgess, the head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), said that while Iranian diplomats in Canberra were not directly involved, the IRGC was “directing… people in Australia to undertake these crimes.”
Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Iranian ambassador, Ahmad Sadeghi, and three of his colleagues have been declared “persona non grata.” They have seven days to leave the country. Wong also noted that Australia has withdrawn its own envoy from Tehran. This is the first time Australia has expelled an ambassador since World War II.
Despite the move, Wong said Australia will keep some diplomatic lines open with Iran. She also advised all Australians in Iran to return home immediately. She warned against any travel to the Middle Eastern country.
