ASIO names Iran as culprit of antisemitic attacks in Australia; Albanese government retaliates

Following the discovery by ASIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation) that Iran is likely behind at least two antisemitic attacks on Australian soil, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that the Iranian ambassador to Australia, Ahmad Sadeghi, will be expelled from Australia, along with three other officials. They will have seven days to leave the country.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said it was the first time since World War II that Australia had expelled a foreign ambassador.

The government has also begun severing other diplomatic ties with Iran. They have suspended the operation of the Australian embassy in Tehran, Iran, and moved its staff to a third country for their safety. Australians currently in Iran have been urged to leave the country as well.

ASIO’s director-general, Mike Burgess, said Sydney’s Lewis’ Continental Kitchen attack and Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue attack from last year were ordered by Iran, and believes the country instigated further attacks. Mr Burgess has claimed that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an elite branch of the Iranian military, used a number of criminal proxies and undertook acts of foreign interference, espionage and politically motivated violence to perpetrate these attacks.

“Our painstaking investigation uncovered and unpicked the links between the alleged crimes and the commanders in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC,” -Burgess

He has stated that ASIO is still investigating possible Iranian involvement in other incidents but also wanted to “stress we do not believe the [Iranian] regime is responsible for every act of antisemitism in Australia”.

Prime Minister Albanese has also declared that the IRGC will be designated as a terrorist organisation, pending legislation. The Opposition Leader has said that they are “entirely united” with Labor’s action, and said the Coalition was “disgusted” to learn of the “chilling foreign interference”.

However, amidst all the negative press against Iran, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke cautions all Australians against blame and violence against the local Iranian community. He urges unity among Australians, and is worried that people might wrongly blame their neighbours for the actions of foreign nationals. 

“The actions of my government send a clear message, a message to all Australians, we stand against anti-Semitism, and we stand against violence,” -Burke