Australia Expels Iranian Ambassador Over Antisemitic Attacks Linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard

Australia has expelled Iran’s ambassador and three senior diplomats after its intelligence agency uncovered evidence that Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) orchestrated antisemitic arson attacks on Australian soil.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the discovery as “extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression” carried out by a foreign state — a move that has triggered one of the most serious diplomatic ruptures between Canberra and Tehran in decades.

The Iranian ambassador, Ahmad Sadeghi, and his staff have seven days to leave the country. It marks the first time since World War II that Australia has expelled a sitting ambassador.

According to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Iran’s elite IRGC was directly involved in coordinating two separate attacks last year — one targeting Lewis’ Continental Kitchen, a long-standing Jewish-owned restaurant in Sydney, and another against the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne.

“These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil,” Albanese said. “Iran has sought to harm and terrify Jewish Australians and to sow hatred and division in our community.”

The IRGC, a powerful branch of Iran’s military apparatus, will now be formally designated as a terrorist organisation in Australia — aligning with the United States, which listed it in 2019.

ASIO chief Mike Burgess said the operations were conducted through “a layer cake” of intermediaries, with Iranian handlers directing local actors via foreign facilitators.

Counter-terrorism investigators have already charged two men in connection with the Melbourne synagogue attack, where masked assailants allegedly threw liquid inside the building before setting it alight.

“These attacks were designed to intimidate Jewish Australians,” said Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke. “Australia was attacked, and Australia was harmed.”

The intelligence community is investigating potential Iranian involvement in other antisemitic incidents, which have surged since the Israel-Hamas war reignited in October 2023.

Australia has also closed its embassy in Tehran, citing security concerns for consular staff, while urging its citizens in Iran to leave immediately.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong warned: “Our capacity to assist Australians in Iran is now extremely limited. If you are in Iran, leave now if it is safe to do so.”

Iran has rejected the allegations as “baseless and ridiculous.” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei vowed a “reciprocal response,” escalating fears of a deeper diplomatic standoff.

The expulsion of Iran’s envoy represents a turning point in Australia’s foreign policy — signaling zero tolerance for foreign-directed extremism and state-backed attacks on religious communities.