Tehran (TDI): Iran has warned of reciprocal action after Australia expelled its ambassador, accusing Tehran of orchestrating antisemitic arson attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.
Rejecting the allegations, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said during a press briefing that the claims were “baseless” and politically motivated. He warned that “any unjustified diplomatic move will be met with a reciprocal response.”
The move follows Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s announcement that Australian intelligence had linked Tehran to the firebombing of a kosher café in Bondi in October 2024 and the torching of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne two months later. While both attacks caused extensive damage, no casualties were reported.
Canberra declared Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi persona non grata and gave him, along with three other Iranian officials, seven days to leave. Australia also withdrew its own envoy from Tehran and shut down its embassy, which had operated since 1968.
Albanese described the incidents as “extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression carried out on Australian soil,” accusing Iran of attempting to inflame divisions in the country. He said the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had used criminal networks and “cut-outs” to mask its role.
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Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said it was the first expulsion of a foreign ambassador since World War II, calling Iran’s actions “unacceptable.” The government also confirmed it would designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
The diplomatic rift comes amid heightened tensions in the region. Iran and Israel fought a brief air war in June after strikes on Tehran’s nuclear sites, while Australia’s recognition of a Palestinian state earlier this month strained relations with Israel.
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Meanwhile, domestic divisions are growing. Tens of thousands have joined nationwide rallies calling for peace and aid to Gaza, where local authorities say more than 62,000 people have been killed in Israel’s nearly two-year offensive. Rights groups warn both antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents are on the rise in Australia, with reports of Islamophobia jumping by 500% since late 2023.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
