Australia Expels Iranian Ambassador Over Attacks in Sydney, Melbourne

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused Iran of orchestrating two anti-Jewish arson attacks in his country and announced the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador, marking a major escalation in relations between the two nations.

Speaking in the capital on Tuesday, Albanese called the incidents in Sydney and Melbourne last year “extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation” designed to undermine Australia’s social cohesion.

“It is totally unacceptable, and the Australian government is taking strong and decisive action,” he said. “A short time ago, we informed the Iranian ambassador to Australia that he will be expelled.”

Australia has also suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran and relocated diplomats to a third country. Albanese added that the government would legislate to list Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation.

The attacks targeted the Lewis Continental Kitchen in Sydney on October 10 and the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on December 6. No casualties were reported, but both sites suffered significant fire damage.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed that Iran’s ambassador, Ahmad Sadeghi, and three colleagues were declared persona non grata and given seven days to leave.

“This is the first time Australia has expelled an ambassador since World War II,” she said, noting that Australia has also withdrawn its envoy from Tehran.

While some limited diplomatic channels will remain open, Wong urged Australians in Iran to return home and advised against new travel to the country.

The move comes as relations between Australia and Israel spiral. Canberra recently joined France, the United Kingdom, and Canada in recognising a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at Albanese, calling him a “weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews.”

Australia hit back, with Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke saying, “Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry.”

Tensions deepened after Australia cancelled a visa for Simcha Rothman, a far-right Israeli lawmaker, citing concerns his speaking tour was aimed at “spreading division.” In response, Israel revoked visas for Australian diplomats to the Palestinian Authority.