Iran directed at least two attacks against Australia’s Jewish community, the domestic spy agency has determined, prompting the Albanese government to expel Tehran’s ambassador to Canberra from Australia,
The Guardian reports.
The prime minister announced on Tuesday that the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (Asio) had “credible intelligence” to determine the Iranian government was behind the attacks against the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne and Lewis’s Continental Kitchen in Bondi in Sydney.
The Asio director-general, Mike Burgess, said the attacks had been ordered by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), working through a “layer cake of cut-outs” – paid intermediaries acting in Australia.
The IRGC will be listed as a terrorist organisation, with new laws to be considered by federal parliament.
Iran’s ambassador to Australia, Ahmad Sadeghi, has been designated “persona non grata” by the Australian government and Australia’s embassy in Tehran will suspend operations. Iranian diplomats posted to Australia were not involved, Burgess said.
The Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, reportedly said the allegations were “completely baseless” and warned that “any inappropriate diplomatic action will be answered in kind”.
In comments reported in Iranian news outlet Iran International, Baghaei claimed the sanctions were driven by domestic political pressure in Australia.
“Millions have protested in Australia against the genocide in Gaza,” he said. “This move against Iran, which is a move against diplomacy, appears to be compensation for the limited criticism Australia has directed at [Israel].”
Six diplomatic staff posted to Iran were moved to a third country before the announcement was made.
“These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil,” Albanese said.
“They were attempts to undermine social cohesion and sow discord in our community. It is totally unacceptable.”
Albanese said told the lower house in question time on Tuesday that it was the “most serious response” any Australian government had given, adding “we don’t expel an ambassador lightly”.
Burgess said his agency was investigating other incidents for possible Iranian government involvement but did not believe Iran was involved in every act of antisemitism in Australia.
“It goes without saying that Iran’s actions are unacceptable. They put lives at risk, they terrified the community and they tore at our social fabric. Iran and its proxies lit the matches and fanned the flames,” he said.
“This was directed by the IRGC through a series of overseas cut-outs, facilitators, to coordinators that found their way to tasking Australians.”
Burgess said the alleged perpetrators were paid to make the attacks, and that it was aimed at “at messing with social cohesion”.
Speaking on ABC’s 7.30 program, Albanese said Asio had “clear evidence” linking individuals in the IRGC to what he described as acts of “foreign violence” against Australia.
When pressed on whether the government would seek to sanction those individuals, Albanese said: “We’ll take whatever action is appropriate.
“We speak about foreign interference. This is another level. This is foreign action and foreign violence being committed against Australians, funded and using criminal elements here,” he said.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said Iran’s actions warranted the first removal of a foreign ambassador to Canberra since the postwar period.
“That is why we have declared Iran’s ambassador to Australia persona non grata, as well as three other Iranian officials, and they will have seven days to leave the country,” Wong said.
