Politics Australia expels Iranian ambassador after attacks
Australia has expelled the Iranian ambassador and closed its own embassy in Tehran following anti-Semitic attacks allegedly directed by Tehran. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told journalists that the domestic intelligence agency ASIO had confirmed that the Iranian government was behind attacks against the Jewish community. Among those affected were a synagogue in Melbourne and a kosher restaurant in Sydney.
26.08.2025, 09:15
SDA
"These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil," Albanese said. "These were attempts to undermine our social interaction and sow discord in our community."
Iranian embassy in Tehran also closed
Foreign Minister Penny Wong emphasized that it was the first time since the Second World War that Canberra had expelled an ambassador from the country. In addition to Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi, three other Iranian diplomats had to leave Australia within seven days.
The Australian embassy in Tehran had stopped its work and all employees were safe in a third country. Wong called on Australians to leave Iran and not to travel to the country.
According to ASIO chief Mike Burgess, the Revolutionary Guards used a complex network of proxies to conceal their involvement. "This is exactly the kind of border blurring I warned about earlier this year," he said. Home Secretary Tony Burke added: "It is true that no one was physically harmed in the alleged Iranian-backed attacks. But it is not true that no one was harmed."
Which attacks were involved?
Last October, the Jewish restaurant Lewis' Continental Kitchen in Sydney was severely damaged by an arson attack, but no one was injured. A few weeks later, unknown persons set fire to the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, which was also severely damaged. Both acts terrified the Jewish community.
Burke also announced a tightening of criminal law in order to put the Revolutionary Guards on a terror list. "This behavior has reached a completely unacceptable new level," the minister said.
