Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media throughout a press convention at Parliament Home in Canberra, Australia, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025.
Lukas Coch/AAP Picture by way of AP
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Lukas Coch/AAP Picture by way of AP
MELBOURNE, Australia — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused Iran of organizing two antisemitic assaults in Australia and mentioned the nation was slicing off diplomatic relations with Tehran in response on Tuesday.
The Australian Safety Intelligence Group concluded the Iranian authorities had directed arson assaults on the Lewis Continental Kitchen, a kosher meals firm, in Sydney in October final 12 months and on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne in December final 12 months, Albanese mentioned.
Iran’s authorities had no fast response.
Australian intelligence says Iran was behind arson assaults
There was a steep rise in antisemitic incidents in Sydney and Melbourne for the reason that Israel-Hamas battle started in 2023.
Australian authorities have beforehand mentioned they think that international actors are paying native criminals-for-hire to hold out assaults within the nation.
Police have already arrested at the very least one suspect within the Sydney cafe hearth investigation and two suspects immediately accused of torching the Melbourne synagogue.
“ASIO has now gathered sufficient credible intelligence to succeed in a deeply disturbing conclusion,” Albanese instructed reporters. “The Iranian authorities directed at the very least two of those assaults. Iran has sought to disguise its involvement however ASIO assesses it was behind the assaults.
“These had been extraordinary and harmful acts of aggression orchestrated by a international nation on Australian soil,” he mentioned. “They had been makes an attempt to undermine social cohesion and sow discord in our group. It’s completely unacceptable.”
Australia breaks off diplomatic relations and warns residents in Iran
Shortly earlier than the announcement, the Australian authorities instructed Iran’s Ambassador to Australia Ahmad Sadeghi that he might be expelled. It additionally withdrew Australian diplomats posted in Iran to a 3rd nation, Albanese mentioned.
An alert to Australians in Iran famous the embassy’s closure and urged them to “strongly take into account leaving as quickly as attainable, whether it is protected to take action.”
“Foreigners in Iran, together with Australians and twin Australian-Iranian nationals, are at a excessive threat of arbitrary detention or arrest,” the warning learn.
Australia up to date its warning to vacationers to its highest stage: “Don’t journey” to Iran.
Iran has a protracted historical past of detaining Westerners or these with ties overseas to make use of as bargaining chips in negotiations.
International Minister Penny Wong mentioned that Canberra would preserve some diplomatic traces open to Tehran to advance Australia’s pursuits. She added that it was the primary time Australia has expelled an envoy since World Battle II.
Albanese goals to declare Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a terrorist group
Albanese mentioned that Australia will legislate to checklist Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has been accused of finishing up assaults overseas over the a long time of its existence, although it broadly denies any involvement. The Guard’s Quds, or Jerusalem, Power is its expeditionary arm and is accused by Western nations of utilizing native militants and criminals previously to focus on dissidents and Israelis overseas.
A spokesperson for the Govt Council of Australian Jewry welcomed the terrorist designation for the Revolutionary Guard, including in a press release that the group was “outraged” {that a} international actor was behind the crimes.
“Foremost, these had been assaults that intentionally focused Jewish Australians, destroyed a sacred home of worship, induced thousands and thousands of {dollars} of harm, and terrified our group,” the assertion mentioned.
Because the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas battle, Israel has arrested a number of individuals on expenses that they had been paid or inspired by Iran to hold out vandalism and monitor potential targets there.
The transfer in opposition to Iran got here every week after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu branded Albanese a “weak politician who had betrayed Israel” by recognizing a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu’s extraordinary public rebuke on social media got here after an Aug. 11 announcement by Albanese that his authorities’s recognition of a Palestinian state might be formalized on the United Nations Common Meeting in September. The announcement was adopted by tit-for-tat cancellations of visas for Australian and Israeli officers.
Australia says Iran helped escalate antisemitic incidents
Neither ASIO director-general Mike Burgess nor Albanese defined what proof there was of Iranian involvement.
Burgess mentioned no Iranian diplomats in Australia had been concerned.
“This was directed by the IRGC by means of a collection of abroad cut-out facilitators to coordinators that discovered their method to tasking Australians,” Burgess mentioned.
Whereas antisemitic incidents elevated in Australian after the Israel-Hamas battle started on Oct. 7 2023, Iran was answerable for a transition in October final 12 months when the violence extra immediately focused individuals, companies and place of worship,” Burgess mentioned.
“Iran began the primary of these,” Burgess mentioned.
