Canberra,August 26(HS):
In an unprecedented diplomatic move, Australia has expelled Iranian Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi along with three other embassy officials after its intelligence agency found Tehran directly linked to antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) chief Mike Burgess announced Tuesday that “credible intelligence” pointed to Iran’s involvement in the October 2024 arson attack on Lewis Continental Kitchen, a kosher food company in Sydney, and the December 2024 firebombing of the Addas Israel synagogue in Melbourne.
“This is the first time since the Second World War that Canberra has expelled an ambassador,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said, giving the Iranian officials seven days to leave the country. In a reciprocal step, Australia has also withdrawn its diplomats from Tehran.
Albanese called Iran’s actions “extraordinary and dangerous,” accusing Tehran of orchestrating violence aimed at undermining Australia’s social fabric. “They were attempts to sow discord in our community. It is totally unacceptable,” he said.
The government further announced it would move to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation—a step long demanded by Jewish groups and security experts amid rising antisemitism in the wake of the Israel–Hamas conflict.
Canberra’s hard line underscores a sharp downturn in Australia–Iran relations and reflects mounting Western concerns over Tehran’s extraterritorial operations.
(More details awaited.)
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
