‘Extraordinary and dangerous acts’: Iran blamed for two antisemitic attacks on Australian soil

This is the first time Australia has expelled an ambassador since World War II, reflecting the seriousness of the foreign interference plot.

Burgess said that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had used “a complex web of proxies” to hide its involvement in antisemitic attacks on Australian soil. He said he did not believe Iran was responsible for all antisemitic attacks in Australia, but they may be responsible for more than the two announced on Tuesday.

“We have investigated dozens of incidents,” Burgess said. “ASIO now assesses the Iranian government directed at least two and likely more attacks on Jewish interests in Australia.

“Our painstaking investigation uncovered and unpicked the links between the alleged crimes and the commanders in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC.

“Iran and its proxies literally and figuratively lit the matches and fanned the flames. I want to assure all Australians that ASIO and our law enforcement partners take these matters extremely seriously.”

Burgess described Iran’s involvement in the incidents as a “layer cake of cutouts” between the IRGC and the alleged perpetrators. When asked if there was organised crime involvement in the attacks, Burgess said there was an “organised crime element offshore”.

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Wong said Iranian officials would have seven days to leave the country, and that this was the first time since World War II that an ambassador had been expelled from Australia.

“There is no doubt that these extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil have crossed a line, and that is why we have declared Iran’s ambassador to Australia persona non grata,” Wong said.

“Iran has sought to undermine the cohesion of our community. They have tried to divide the Australian community, and they’ve done so with acts of aggression that not only sought to terrify Australians but put Australian lives in danger.”

Burke declared Iran was motivated by antisemitism when it commissioned attacks on Jewish interests in Australia and that the government would introduce a “new regime” under the criminal code to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp as a terrorist organisation.

“This is an unprecedented attack on our society,” Burke said.

“The existing [terrorist listing] regime, designed decades ago, was not intended to deal with the threats we are now facing,” Burke said.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley backed the government’s response, saying that Iran’s involvement was an attempt to “turn neighbour against neighbour and Australian against Australian”.

“We are all disgusted to learn of the serious and chilling foreign interference which has been perpetrated by the Islamic Republic of Iran on Australian soil,” she said.

Israel’s embassy in Canberra applauded the government for designating the IRGC a terrorist organisation, saying it was a step it had long advocated for.

“Iran’s regime is not only a threat to Jews or Israel, it endangers the entire free world, including Australia,” the embassy said. “A strong and important move.”

Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler said that the government’s actions sent a “powerful and principled message”.

“Today’s announcement proves what we have long warned; that Iran’s malign reach extends into western democracies, including here in Australia,” he said.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion thanked ASIO and the police for their investigation, saying: “Israel’s enemies are Australia’s enemies … The same regime that helped plan the October 7 atrocities, directed Hezbollah to open a second front against Israel, attacked Israel directly with ballistic missiles and threatened it with nuclear annihilation, is responsible for plotting and executing attacks against Australians.”