Melbourne. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday accused Iran of orchestrating two antisemitic arson attacks in Australia and announced Canberra would cut diplomatic ties with Tehran in response.

Australia’s intelligence agency, ASIO, concluded that Iran’s government directed attacks on the Lewis Continental Kitchen, a kosher food company in Sydney in October 2023, and on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne two months later, Albanese said.

“Iran has sought to disguise its involvement, but ASIO assesses it was behind the attacks,” Albanese told reporters. “These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression by a foreign nation on Australian soil.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejected the allegations, calling them politically motivated.

Embassy Closure and Expulsion

Shortly before Albanese’s announcement, Canberra informed Iran’s ambassador, Ahmad Sadeghi, that he would be expelled. Australia also withdrew its diplomats from Tehran to a third country.

The government updated its travel advisory to the highest level, “Do not travel,” citing risks of arbitrary arrest and detention of foreigners. Australians in Iran were urged to leave “as soon as possible, if it is safe to do so.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said some channels with Tehran would remain open to protect Australian interests. She noted this was the first time Australia had expelled an ambassador since World War II.

Revolutionary Guard to Be Listed as Terror Group

Albanese said his government would move to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. Providing support to a listed group is a crime under Australian law.

The IRGC has long been accused by Western governments of sponsoring attacks abroad, often through intermediaries. The group denies the charges.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry welcomed the move, saying the attacks had “deliberately targeted Jewish Australians, destroyed a sacred house of worship, caused millions of dollars of damage, and terrified our community.”

Rising Tensions With Iran and Israel

The announcement comes as relations between Canberra and Israel also face strain. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Albanese a “weak politician” after Australia recognized a Palestinian state.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei suggested the accusations were linked to that recognition, calling them “a compensation for criticism” of Israel.

Foreign Actors and Antisemitism

ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess said Iran had used intermediaries overseas to task Australians with carrying out the attacks, though no Iranian diplomats in Australia were involved.

While antisemitic incidents had already risen sharply after the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, Burgess said Iran was responsible for escalating violence by directly targeting Jewish businesses and places of worship.

“Iran started the first of those,” Burgess said.