Australia has announced the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador.

Australia has announced the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador

Following intelligence findings that linked Iran to two recent attacks on Jewish sites, including the arson of a synagogue in Melbourne.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that Australia’s security investigation revealed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) orchestrated the firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue as well as an attack on a kosher restaurant in Sydney in late 2024.

Australia has declared Iranian Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi, along with three other Iranian officials, persona non grata and given them one week to leave the country.

This marks the first expulsion of an ambassador from Australia since World War II. Australia also suspended the operations of its embassy in Tehran and withdrew its diplomats to a third country for safety.

Australia’s intelligence agency found that the IRGC used a complex network of proxies including organized crime groups to plan and execute the attacks, aiming to undermine social cohesion and stoke division on Australian soil.

The government is drafting urgent legislation to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization.

Prime Minister Albanese described the incidents as extraordinary aggression, stating that they were attempts “to undermine social cohesion and sow discord in our community,” and emphasized Australia’s zero tolerance for foreign-orchestrated violence.

The announcement has drawn support from several international allies and prompted safety advisories for Australians traveling in Iran.