Australia expels Iran’s envoy over antisemitic arson attacks

Australia has taken the rare step of expelling Iran’s ambassador, accusing Tehran of orchestrating antisemitic attacks on Australian soil. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said intelligence gathered by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) showed Iran had directed at least two arson incidents  the torching of a kosher restaurant in Sydney and a fire at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne in 2023. Both attacks caused significant damage but no injuries.

Albanese described Iran’s actions as “extraordinary and dangerous,” saying they were attempts to divide Australian society and undermine cohesion. He confirmed that Australia had suspended embassy operations in Tehran, with all diplomats safely relocated to a third country. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi and three Iranian officials had seven days to leave, marking the first expulsion of a foreign envoy by Australia since World War Two.

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The Australian government also announced it would designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, after intelligence revealed it had used criminal gangs and intermediaries to carry out attacks. Israel’s embassy in Canberra welcomed the move, calling Iran a threat not only to Jews and Israel but to the wider international community.

The arson attacks have shaken Australia’s Jewish community, which accused Iran of targeting sacred sites and instilling fear. Daniel Aghion, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said the synagogue fire destroyed a place built by Holocaust survivors and caused millions in damage, leaving Jewish Australians traumatised. Two men have been charged in connection with the Melbourne synagogue attack, while another suspect with alleged biker gang links was arrested over the Sydney restaurant blaze. Investigations are ongoing, with police examining seized electronic devices.

Tensions between Israel and Australia have been rising since Canberra’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state earlier this month, sparking criticism from pro-Israel groups. At the same time, large pro-Palestinian protests have swept across Australia, drawing tens of thousands of people. Jewish organisations have voiced safety concerns, while some Jewish Australians have supported the rallies.

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The conflict in Gaza continues to fuel polarisation in Australia. Civil society groups report sharp increases in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents, with the Islamophobia Register recording a 500% rise since October 2023. Albanese warned that foreign-directed attacks on religious communities are a direct assault on Australia’s sovereignty and vowed to protect all citizens from intimidation and violence.