Australia accuses Iran of being behind two antisemitic attacks, orders ambassador to leave

commonwealth of australia accused persia on tues of executing deuce antisemitic fire-raising attacks in the cities of Sydney and Melbourne and gave Tehran's ambassador seven days to leave the country, its first such expulsion since the Second World War.

Since the Israel-Gaza war began in October 2023, Australian homes, schools, synagogues and vehicles have been targeted in antisemitic vandalism and arson, while Islamophobic incidents have surged.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) had gathered credible intelligence that Iran had directed at least two attacks.

"These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil," Albanese told a media briefing. "They were attempts to undermine social cohesion and sow discord in our community."

Iran had sought to "disguise its involvement" in last year's attacks on a kosher restaurant in Sydney and the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, Albanese said. No injuries were reported in the attacks.

Australia's decision was motivated by internal affairs and antisemitism had no place in Iranian culture, a spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry said.

Iran would take an appropriate decision in response to Australia's action, state media quoted the spokesperson as saying.

Australia's security agency said it was likely that Iran had directed further attacks, Albanese said, adding that Australia has suspended operations at its Tehran embassy and all its diplomats were safe in a third country.

The government will designate Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, Albanese added. Canada designated the IRGC a terrorist entity last year, and the U.S. Did so in 2019.

"They're just using cut-outs, including people who are criminals and members of organized crime gangs to do their bidding or direct their bidding," said Mike Burgess, director general of the security agency.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi and three Iranian officials had seven days to leave.

Israel's embassy in Australia welcomed the action against its major rival Iran.

"Iran's regime is not only a threat to Jews or Israel, it endangers the entire free world, including Australia," it said in a statement on X.

Ties between Israel and Australia have been strained since Canberra's centre-left government decided to recognize a Palestinian state on Aug. 11, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu telling Australia's SkyNews he thought Albanese was "forever tarnished" by that decision.

Two men have been charged over the December attack that set ablaze the synagogue, built in the 1960s by Holocaust survivors in the suburb of Ripponlea.

Last week, police in the southeastern state of Victoria said they were examining electronic devices seized in a search of the home of one of the men, who is set to appear in court on Wednesday.

Police say three people broke into the synagogue and set the fire.

Fire gutted the kosher restaurant in Bondi, Lewis Continental Kitchen. Media said the man arrested in January over that attack had links to a well-known Australian motorcycle gang. He denied the charges in court and was freed on bail.

About 90,000 Iranian-born people live in Australia.

The Australian Iranian Community Organisation welcomed the expulsion and the move to declare the IRGC as a terrorist group.

"We are really happy to see them go," its president, Siamak Ghahreman, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in an interview.

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