Australia Expels Iranian Ambassador Amid Accusations of Antisemitic Attacks
Australia's Prime Minister has gathered "credible evidence" of the Iranian government's involvement in at least two arson incidents.
Australia announced on Tuesday, August 26, that it will expel Iran’s ambassador after accusing Tehran of involvement in antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia’s intelligence and security services had gathered “credible evidence” indicating that the Iranian government was behind at least two arson incidents: the October 20, 2024 attack on Louis Continental Kitchen in Sydney and the December 6, 2024 attack on Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne. No injuries were reported in either case, but Albanese described them as “unusual and dangerous acts of aggression” organized by a foreign state on Australian soil.
The Australian government declared Ahmad Sadeghi, Iran’s ambassador, persona non grata, giving him and three other Iranian diplomats seven days to leave the country. At the same time, Canberra announced that the activities of its own embassy in Tehran would be suspended, with Australian diplomats relocated to a third country for safety. Albanese further stated that Australia intends to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
Iran firmly rejected the allegations. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei denied any Iranian role in the incidents, stressing that “antisemitism has no place in our policy” and calling the accusations “baseless and politically motivated.” He described antisemitism as a “Western and European phenomenon” and claimed Australia’s decision was influenced by domestic politics. Later, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a sharply worded statement, even echoing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s criticism of Albanese as a “weak politician,” while insisting that Iran hosts one of the world’s oldest Jewish communities and protects its synagogues.
The Israeli embassy in Canberra welcomed Australia’s move, praising both the expulsion and the planned IRGC terrorist designation as “a strong and important step.” It described Iran as a threat not only to Jews and Israel but also to the “free world, including Australia.”
Despite the escalating confrontation, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that Canberra will maintain diplomatic relations with Tehran to safeguard Australian interests, though she warned that the country’s consular capacity in Iran is now extremely limited. She urged Australians not to travel to Iran, noting the risks posed by the strained relations.
Australia’s intelligence chief, Michael Burgess, stated that his agency’s “rigorous investigations” revealed links between the attacks and the IRGC, suggesting that Iran had likely directed additional incidents as well. He clarified, however, that there was no evidence the Iranian embassy or its diplomats in Australia were personally involved in the operations.
This is the first time since World War II that Australia has expelled an ambassador from any country. The decision also comes just a week after Netanyahu sent a letter pressing Canberra to act against antisemitic threats, and two weeks after Australia announced it would recognize the State of Palestine in September, a move that had drawn sharp criticism from Israel.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned Australia’s action as “unjustifiable and contrary to the traditions of diplomatic relations,” warning that Tehran reserves the right to take reciprocal measures. The statement also cautioned that the decision could negatively affect the large Iranian community in Australia. Several Western embassies in Tehran, including Germany’s, have already scaled back operations since the 12-day war in June, citing security concerns.
The clash between Australia and Iran now marks a new and unprecedented stage in relations, combining accusations of foreign-directed antisemitic violence with the expulsion of diplomats and the suspension of normal embassy operations. It represents not only a major diplomatic rupture but also a signal that Canberra is prepared to take a harder stance against Iran in alignment with its Western allies.