Australia has said Iran carried out two antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne and given the Iranian ambassador seven days to leave the country, Reuters reports.
Homes, synagogues and cars have been targeted in antisemitic attacks and arson attacks since Israel began its military campaign in Gaza in October 2023. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australian intelligence had gathered intelligence indicating that at least the last two attacks were carried out by the Iranian government.
Albanese told a news conference: “This was a specific and very dangerous act of aggression by a foreign government on Australian soil. It was an attempt to undermine the cohesion of our society and to sow discord in our community.” The prime minister said Iran had sought to cover up its involvement in the 2024 attacks on a kosher restaurant in Sydney and a synagogue in Melbourne. Australian security forces have indicated that
Iran is likely to have carried out other attacks.
Australia has suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran, and all diplomats have been evacuated to a third country.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Iranian ambassador and three other diplomats had been given seven days to leave the country. This is the first time since World War II that Australia has expelled a foreign ambassador.
The Israeli embassy in Australia welcomed the decision to expel the Iranian diplomats, saying that the Iranian regime poses a threat not only to Jews and Israel, but to the rest of the world, including Australia.
Australia currently has about 90,000 people of Iranian origin.
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