Australia expels Iranian ambassador over antisemitic attacks

Australia says it will expel Iran’s ambassador after alleging the country’s government directed antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the attacks were “extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation”. Nobody was injured in the attacks, which happened last year.

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (Asio) chief Mike Burgess said his agency had intelligence that Iran was “likely” behind more attacks on Jewish targets in Australia incidents.

Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi and three other Iranian officials have been ordered to leave Australia within seven days. Iran has not yet commented on the accusations.

Burgess said: “Iran has sought to disguise its involvement, but Asio assesses it was behind the attacks on the Lewis Continental Kitchen in Sydney on 20 October last year, and the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on 6 December.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said it was the first time since World War Two that Australia had expelled an ambassador.

Wong said that Australia would continue to maintain some diplomatic lines with Tehran but had suspended operations at its embassy in Iran for the safety of staff.

She also urged Australians not to travel to Iran and called for any citizens in the country to leave now if it is safe to do so.

Albanese said his government would also designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation.