Australia’s spy agency ASIO has found that Iran was responsible for a string of anti-semitic attacks in Australia in a bombshell finding that has prompted the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the shock announcement today flanked by AFP chief Reece Kershaw, ASIO boss Mike Burgess and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
The anti-semitic campaign linked to Iran includes the attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne that occurred on December 6, 2024, when two masked men set fire to the building.
The spy agency believes there are also links with the attacks on the Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in Bondi, Sydney, which was damaged in firebombings in October last year.
Iranian ambassador to Australia Ahmad Sadeghi was told just 30 minutes before the press conference that he – and three other officials – were being expelled from the country.
The group – declared “persona non grata” – have seven days to leave. It also marks the first time since World War II that Australia has expelled a foreign ambassador.
ASIO stressed the Iranian embassy and its diplomats were not involved in the attacks.
Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne was fire bombed late last year. Picture: David Caird
CCTV released of the attack, which Anthony Albanese today said was orchestrated by Iran. Picture: Vic Police
Iran’s ambassador to Australia Ahmad Sadeghi has been expelled. Picture: Nine News
“ASIO has now gathered enough credible intelligence to reach a deeply disturbing conclusion that the Iranian government directed at least two of these attacks,’’ the Prime Minister said.
“Iran has sought to disguise its involvement, but ASIO assesses, it was behind the attacks on the Lewis Continental kitchen in Sydney on October 20 last year, and the Adas Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on December 6 last year.
“ASIO assesses it is likely Iran directed further attacks as well.
“It is totally unacceptable, and the Australian Government is taking strong and decisive action in response. A short time ago, we informed the Iranian Ambassador to Australia that he would be expelled. We have suspended operations at our embassy in Tehran.”
The government also advised all Australians to leave Iran if they can do so safely.
“These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil,” Mr Albanese said.
”They have sought to harm and terrorise Jewish Australians and sow hatred and division in our community.”
ASIO believes there are also links with the attacks on the Lewis’ Continental Kitchen which was damaged in firebombings in October last year. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer
Iranian ambassador to Australia Ahmad Sadeghi was told he was expelled from the country just half an hour before the press conference. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that the conduct was completely unacceptable.
“They have tried to divide the Australian community, and they have done so with acts of aggression that not only sought to terrify Australians, but put Australia’s – Australian lives in danger,’’ Senator Wong said.
“There is no doubt that these extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil have crossed a line.
“And that’s why we have declared Iran’s ambassador to Australia persona non grata, as well as three other Iranian officials and they’ll have seven days to leave the country.
“This is the first time in the postwar period that Australia has expelled an ambassador. Iran’s actions are completely unacceptable.”
How Iran recruited criminals
ASIO director general Mike Burgess said that investigations were continuing into how Iran secured agents in Australia.
“Some of the alleged perpetrators did this because they were paid to do it,’’ he said.
“What I can say is there’s – it’s a layer cake of cut-outs between IRGC and the person or the alleged perpetrators conducting crimes.”
IRGC is an acronym for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces.
“In between, they tap into a number of people, agents of IRGC, and people that they know in the criminal world, and work through there, so it’s a series of chains.
“There’s organised crime. There’s an organised crime element offshore in this. But that’s not to suggest organised crime is doing it.
“They’re just using cut-outs, including people who are criminals and members of organised crime gangs to do their bidding or direct their bidding in Australia.”
“In this year’s annual threat assessment, I warned Australia’s complex, challenging and changing security environment is becoming more dynamic, diverse and degraded.
“Dynamic because we’re confronting an increasing number of threats.
“Diverse because some nation states are using criminal proxies and are using politically motivated violence.
“Degraded because authoritarian regimes are more willing to engage in reckless actions.
“For the past 10 months, anti-Semitism has been one of ASIO’s most pressing priorities, involving the full use of its capabilities and powers.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that the conduct was completely unacceptable. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman
“Our painstaking investigation uncovered and unpicked the links between the alleged crimes and the commanders in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC.
“The IRGC used a complex web of proxies to hide its involvement. This is the kind of boundary blurring I warned about earlier this year.
“ASIO is still investigating possible Iranian involvement in a number of other attacks, but I want to stress we do not believe the regime is responsible for every act of anti-Semitism 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.
“I want to assure all Australians that ASIO and our law enforcement partners take these matters extremely seriously.”
History of diplomatic expulsions
It’s the first time in the post war period that Australia has expelled a foreign ambassador.
Diplomats have been expelled on a number of instances, most recently in March 2018, when Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced that two Russian diplomats had been identified as undeclared intelligence officers.
This was in response to the nerve agent attack in the UK town of Salisbury, and part of a coordinated expulsion of Russian diplomats from Western countries around the world.
In 2012, the Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, announced that the highest-ranking Syrian diplomat in Australia, Chargé d’Affaires Jawdat Ali, was being expelled in response to the massacre of more than 100 civilians in the Syrian village of Houla.
In May 2010 an Israeli diplomat was expelled from Australia over the alleged misuse of Australian passports in the assassination of a Hamas operative in Dubai.
In March 2003, the Howard Government expelled Helal Ibrahim Aaref, an attache at Iraq’s embassy, giving him 5 days to leave.
Six Russians were expelled from Australia in 1993 for spying and in 1986 a South African diplomat was reportedly expelled from Australia for ‘clubbing’ an anti-apartheid protester who had entered the embassy’s grounds and begun smashing windows.
In April 1983, the Australian Government expelled Soviet diplomat Valeriy Ivanov, claiming that he was a KGB agent.
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