₦airaland Forum

b]Australia expelled Iran's ambassador on Tuesday, accusing the country of being behind antisemitic arson attacks in Melbourne and Sydney.[/b]

It marks the first time Australia has expelled an ambassador since World War II.

Intelligence services reached the "deeply disturbing conclusion" that Iran directed at least two antisemitic attacks, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

Tehran was behind a fire attack on a kosher cafe, the Lewis Continental Cafe, in Sydney's Bondi suburb in October 2024, the prime minister told a news conference.

It also directed a major arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne in December 2024, the prime minister said, citing the intelligence findings.

No physical injuries were reported in the two attacks.

"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."

Australia declared Iranian ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi "persona non grata" and ordered him and three other officials to leave the country within seven days.

Australia also withdrew its own ambassador to Iran and suspended the embassy's operations in Tehran.
The Australian diplomats were all "safe in a third country", the prime minister said.

Australia will also legislate to list Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation, he said.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said it was the first time in the post-war period that Australia had expelled an ambassador.

Canberra will maintain diplomatic lines with Iran to advance the interests of Australians, Wong said.

Australia has had an embassy in Tehran since 1968.

Though Australians have been advised not to travel through Iran since 2020, Wong said Canberra's ability to provide consular assistance was now "extremely limited".

"I do know that many Australians have family connections in Iran, but I urge any Australian who might be considering traveling to Iran, please do not do so," she said.

"Our message is, if you are an Australian in Iran, leave now if it is safe to do so
Australian spy chief Michael Burgess said a "painstaking" intelligence service investigation had uncovered links between the antisemitic attacks and Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

The probe found that the Guard directed at least two and "likely" more attacks on Jewish interests in Australia, said Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.

The Revolutionary Guard, the ideological arm of Iran's military, used a complex web of proxies to hide its involvement in the attacks, he said.

Iran's embassy in Australia and its diplomats were not involved, however, the spy chief said.

The Australian intelligence service was still investigating possible Iranian involvement in a number of other attacks, Burgess said.

"Iran's actions are utterly unacceptable. They put lives at risk. They terrified the community, and they tore at our social fabric," he said.

"Iran and its proxies, literally and figuratively, lit the matches and fanned the flames."

The Jewish community may find some solace in the investigation breakthrough, said Daniel Aghion, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.

"Yet there will be great anxiety that we have been targeted in such a callous and calculated way, by a ruthless and violent foreign force, because of who we are," he said.

Last year's arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne was one of the most devastating in a string of antisemitic incidents.

The fire gutted much of the building, shocked Australians and was tagged by police as a "likely terrorist incident".
Israel's embassy in Australia welcomed the government's decision to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.

"This is a step we have long advocated for," it said in a statement posted on social media.

"Iran's regime is not only a threat to Jews or Israel, it endangers the entire free world, including Australia. A strong and important move."

Iran's embassy in Canberra did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Botragelad:
Iran is only doing what it does best, hitting soft targets. Instead of confronting Israel directly, they resort to cowardly arson attacks on synagogues in Australia just to feed their ego.

Investigations now confirm the IRGC was behind the attack.. This is what desperation looks like. If they think burning places of worship in Australia , etc somehow hurts Israel, they’re weaker than we thought. Lol

Botragelad:
Iran is only doing what it does best, hitting soft targets. Instead of confronting Israel directly, they resort to cowardly arson attacks on synagogues in Australia just to feed their ego.

Investigations now confirm the IRGC was behind the attack.. This is what desperation looks like. If they think burning places of worship in Australia , etc somehow hurts Israel, they’re weaker than we thought. Lol

Softmirror:
You can see now that Australia is not bias in their out cry against Israel.

shadelek:
Against Israel?
Did you understand what the news was all about at all?

Softmirror:
Have youu been followiing up on previous events?!

erad:
When Iran bombed the hell out of Israel, same you people came out speaking gibberish.

Stay one place and stop being hypocritical.

shadelek:
No but this latest development justified it all I think

Botragelad:
Iran is only doing what it does best, hitting soft targets. Instead of confronting Israel directly, they resort to cowardly arson attacks on synagogues in Australia just to feed their ego.

Investigations now confirm the IRGC was behind the attack.. This is what desperation looks like. If they think burning places of worship in Australia , etc somehow hurts Israel, they’re weaker than we thought. Lol

Botragelad:
Iran is only doing what it does best, hitting soft targets. Instead of confronting Israel directly, they resort to cowardly arson attacks on synagogues in Australia just to feed their ego.

Investigations now confirm the IRGC was behind the attack.. This is what desperation looks like. If they think burning places of worship in Australia , etc somehow hurts Israel, they’re weaker than we thought. Lol

Botragelad:
[

Source:
https://www.times-georgian.com/news/national/australia-expels-iran-ambassador-over-antisemitic-attacks/article_842d68bf-9805-5e43-9257-9cd75f15806a.html

jaxxy:
I don't see Israelis attacking random Iranians or Palestines in other countries just because of their differences.

Botragelad:
Iran is only doing what it does best, hitting soft targets. Instead of confronting Israel directly, they resort to cowardly arson attacks on synagogues in Australia just to feed their ego.

Investigations now confirm the IRGC was behind the attack.. This is what desperation looks like. If they think burning places of worship in Australia , etc somehow hurts Israel, they’re weaker than we thought. Lol

frankson1:
The same Iran who bombarded Israel that the US had to hurriedly go for the Israelis rescue

The joke is on you.

tuoyoojo:
For Iran all is fair in love and war

They are the masters of indirect warfare