- The Iranian ambassador, Ahmad Sadeghi, and the other diplomats have been given seven days to leave the country.
- PM Albanese said that the attacks were aimed at “harming and terrifying Jewish Australians and sowing hatred and division in our community.”
- This marks the first time Australia has expelled a foreign ambassador since World War II.
Australia has announced the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador and three other diplomatic staff after its intelligence agency found evidence linking Iran to antisemitic attacks on Australian soil, CNN reported.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) had determined that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) orchestrated at least two incidents last year: an arson attack on a Jewish-owned restaurant in Sydney and another at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne.
“These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil,” Albanese said at a press conference.
The Iranian ambassador, Ahmad Sadeghi, and the other diplomats have been given seven days to leave the country. This marks the first time Australia has expelled a foreign ambassador since World War II.
In addition, Australia has suspended operations at its embassy in Iran to ensure the safety of consular staff and has urged Australian citizens in Iran to return home.
Albanese announced that the IRGC, a key branch of Iran’s military involved in domestic repression and international militia operations, will also be listed as a terrorist organization. The United States had designated the group as a terrorist entity in 2019.
“I’ve said many times that the Australian people want killing in the Middle East to stop, and they don’t want conflict in the Middle East brought here. Iran has sought to do just that,” the Prime Minister said.
He added that the attacks were aimed at “harming and terrifying Jewish Australians and sowing hatred and division in our community.”
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