Australia Expels Iranian Diplomats Over Antisemitic Attacks Linked to Iran

The Australian government has announced the expulsion of two diplomats from Iran, citing credible intelligence that suggests the Islamic Republic played a role in at least two antisemitic attacks that occurred in Sydney and Melbourne. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed this alarming conclusion, stating that the nation’s domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, gathered sufficient evidence indicating the Iranian government's direct involvement in the attacks, one targeting a Sydney restaurant and the other a synagogue in Melbourne.

Prior to the announcement, Australia's ambassador informed Iran’s ambassador about the decision to expel the diplomats, as the Australian government also pulled back its own diplomats from Iran to a separate country. The backdrop for these actions is a notable increase in antisemitic incidents in Melbourne and Sydney, which escalated following the massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023, leading to ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza.

Additionally, Prime Minister Albanese mentioned intentions to classify Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity. This comes on the heels of Australia’s earlier declaration to recognize Palestinian statehood during an upcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly, a move that sparked significant backlash from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accused Albanese of abandoning Australia’s Jewish community and betraying Israel.