Australia accuses Iran of organizing antisemitic attacks and expels ambassador : NPR
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media at a press conference in Parliament in Canberra, Australia, Tuesday, August 26, 2025.
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Image Lukas Coch / AAP via AP
Melbourne, Australia – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanian accused Iran of having organized two anti -Semitic attacks in Australia and said that the country reduced diplomatic relations with Tehran in response on Tuesday.
The Australian Safety Intelligence Organization concluded that the Iranian government had directed criminal fire attacks against Lewis Continental cuisine, a kosher food company in Sydney in October of last year and at the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne in December of last year, said Albanian.
The Iranian government had no immediate reaction.
Australian intelligence says that Iran was behind criminal fire attacks
There was a sharp increase in anti-Semitic incidents in Sydney and Melbourne since the start of the War of Israel-Hamas in 2023.
Australian authorities previously said they suspected that foreign actors pay local criminals for hiring to carry out attacks in the country.
Police have already arrested at least one suspect in the Sydney Cafe fire investigation and two suspects directly accused of burning Melbourne’s synagogue.
“Asio has now gathered enough credible intelligence to achieve a deeply disturbing conclusion,” Albanese told journalists. “The Iranian government has led at least two of these attacks. Iran has sought to hide its involvement, but Asio assesses it behind the attacks.
“These are acts of extraordinary and dangerous aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil,” he said. “These are attempts to undermine social cohesion and sow discord in our community. It is completely unacceptable.”
Australia breaks diplomatic relations and warns citizens in Iran
Shortly before the announcement, the Australian government told the Iranian ambassador to Australia Ahmad Sadeghi that he would be expelled. He also withdrew the Australian diplomats published in Iran in a third country, said Albanese.
An alert of Australians in Iran noted the closure of the embassy and urged them to “strongly consider leaving as soon as possible, if it is sure to do so”.
“Foreigners in Iran, including Australians and the two Iranian Australians, run a high risk of arbitrary detention or arrest,” said the warning.
Australia has updated its warning to travelers at its highest level: “do not travel” in Iran.
Iran has a long history of detention of Westerners or those who have links abroad to use as a negotiation schools in negotiations.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Canberra would keep certain diplomatic lines open in Tehran to advance the interests of Australia. She added that it was the first time that Australia has expelled an ambassador since the Second World War.
Albanese aims to declare the Iran revolution, a terrorist organization
Albanese said that Australia would legislate to list the Iran revolution as a terrorist organization.
The Iran’s paramilitary revolution was accused of having conducted attacks abroad during the decades of its existence, although it largely denies any involvement. The strength of the custody, or Jerusalem, is its expeditionary arm and is accused by Western nations of using local activists and criminals in the past to target dissidents and Israelis abroad.
A spokesperson for the executive council of the Australian Jewish community praised the terrorist designation of the revolutionary guard, adding in a statement that the group was “indignant” that a foreign actor was behind the crimes.
“Above all, these are attacks that have deliberately targeted the Jewish Australians, destroyed a sacred worship house, caused millions of dollars in damage and terrified our community,” the statement said.
Since the start of the War of Israel-Hamas, Israel has arrested several people for having been paid or encouraged by Iran to carry out vandalism and to monitor potential objectives.
This decision against Iran occurred a week after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu marked Albanian a “weak politician who had betrayed Israel” by recognizing a Palestinian state.
The extraordinary public reprimand of Netanyahu on social networks intervened after an announcement of August 11 by Albanian that the recognition by his government of a Palestinian State will be formalized in the United Nations General Assembly in September. The announcement was followed by visa cancellations for titles for Australian and Israeli officials.
Australia says that Iran has helped intensify anti -Semitic incidents
Neither the director general of Asio, Mike Burgess ni Albanese, explained what evidence there was Iranian participation.
Burgess said no Iranian diplomat in Australia was involved.
“This was led by the IRGC through a series of cutting abroad for coordinators who have found their way to try the Australians,” said Burgess.
While anti-Semitic incidents increased in Australian after the War of Israel-Hamas began on October 7, 2023, Iran was responsible for a transition in October of last year when violence was more directly targeted people, businesses and the place of worship, “said Burgess.
“Iran started first,” said Burgess.
