Australia has expelled Iran’s ambassador, Ahmad Sadeghi, accusing Tehran of orchestrating antisemitic arson attacks in Sydney and Melbourne — marking the first time since World War II that Canberra has taken such a step.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said intelligence services reached the “deeply disturbing conclusion” that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) directed at least two attacks: the torching of a kosher café in Sydney’s Bondi suburb in October 2024, and a major arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne in December 2024.
“These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil,” Albanese told reporters. “They were attempts to undermine social cohesion and sow discord in our community.”
No injuries were reported in either incident, though the synagogue fire was one of the most destructive antisemitic attacks in recent years.
Diplomatic Fallout
Australia declared Ambassador Sadeghi “persona non grata” and ordered him, along with three other Iranian officials, to leave within seven days. Canberra also withdrew its own diplomats from Tehran and suspended embassy operations that had been in place since 1968.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said this was the first time post-war Australia had expelled an ambassador. She urged Australians with family ties to Iran not to travel there, stressing that consular support was now “extremely limited.”
“Our message is clear,” Wong said. “If you are an Australian in Iran, leave now if it is safe to do so.”
Iran’s Role and Response
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) chief Michael Burgess said a “painstaking investigation” revealed links between the IRGC and the arson attacks, which he said were part of a broader strategy using “a web of proxies” to conceal Tehran’s involvement.
While Iran’s embassy staff in Canberra were not implicated, Burgess confirmed investigations were ongoing into other suspected attacks.
Daniel Aghion, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said the revelations confirmed fears of being “targeted in such a callous and calculated way, by a ruthless and violent foreign force, because of who we are.”
Wider Impact
Albanese announced that Australia will legislate to formally list the IRGC as a terrorist organisation — a move welcomed by Israel’s embassy in Canberra, which described it as “a step long advocated for.”
Analysts said fallout from the diplomatic rupture is likely to be limited due to the already weak ties between Australia and Iran.
As of Tuesday, Iran’s embassy in Canberra had not responded to requests for comment.
