TEHRAN: Iran has pledged to retaliate after Australia expelled its ambassador, accusing Tehran of orchestrating antisemitic arson attacks in Sydney and Melbourne. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei firmly rejected the allegations, warning that any “unjustified” diplomatic action would be met with a reciprocal response.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Australia’s intelligence agency had found credible evidence linking Iran to a firebombing of a kosher café in Sydney’s Bondi suburb in October 2024 and a major arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne that December. No one was injured, but Albanese described the incidents as “extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression” designed to sow division within Australian society.
Canberra declared Iran’s ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi “persona non grata” and ordered him, along with three other officials, to leave the country within a week. Australia also suspended operations at its Tehran embassy and withdrew its ambassador. Foreign Minister Penny Wong stressed that this was the country’s first expulsion of a foreign envoy since World War II, saying Iran’s behavior was “completely unacceptable.”
The Australian government will designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. Intelligence chief Mike Burgess said the IRGC had been directing criminals and organised gangs in Australia to carry out attacks on its behalf. Israel’s embassy in Canberra welcomed the move, calling Iran a danger not just to Jews or Israel but to the wider world.
Iran dismissed the accusations, claiming Canberra’s actions were motivated by domestic pressures, including growing protests over Israel’s war in Gaza. Tehran accused Australia of trying to deflect criticism for its muted stance on the conflict.
Community reactions in Australia have been divided. Jewish leaders described the attacks as deliberate assaults on Jewish Australians, causing fear and millions in damage. Two men have been charged over the Melbourne synagogue fire, while a suspect linked to a biker gang faces trial over the Sydney café blaze.
The Australian Iranian Community Organisation expressed relief at the expulsions, while protests over the Gaza war continue to fuel political tensions. Rights groups report sharp rises in antisemitism and Islamophobia across Australia since the conflict began, underscoring the growing strain on social cohesion.
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