MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Iran’s ambassador to Australia will be expelled after intelligence revealed the Iranian government was behind at least two antisemitic attacks in Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday.
The Australian Security Intelligence Organization concluded that the Iranian government had directed attacks on the Lewis Continental Kitchen, a kosher food company, in Sydney in October last year and the Addas Israel synagogue in Melbourne in December last year, Albanese sad.
Shortly before the announcement, the Australian government told Iran’s Ambassador to Australia Ahmad Sadeghi that he will be expelled. It also withdrew Australian diplomats posted in Iran to a third country, Albanese said.
There has been a steep rise in antisemitic incidents in the two cities since the Israel-Hamas war began in 2023.
“ASIO has gathered enough credible intelligence to reach a deeply disturbing conclusion. The Iranian government directed at least two of these attacks. Iran has sought to disguise its involvement but ASIO assesses it was behind the attacks,” Albanese told reporters, referring to the main domestic spy agency.
Australia will legislate to list Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, Albanese said.
“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,” he added.
___
A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that Albanese accused Iran of directing an attack on a Melbourne mosque. It was a Melbourne synagogue.