Australia Expels Iranian Ambassador In historical First, Blames IRGC For Anti-Jewish Attacks

Australia has on Tuesday expelled the Iranian ambassador from the country, which marks the first time it has booted a foreign ambassador of any nation in the post-World War II period. The government has blamed Iran and its intelligence apparatus for directing two antisemitic attacks against Australia’s Jewish community – especially a shocking firebomb attack on a Melbourne synagogue last December.

There was also a fire set at a kosher food business in Sydney in October, prior to the synagogue fire. The Adass Israel synagogue in southeast Melbourne, which is in a heavily Jewish area, was utterly destroyed by the fire.

Destroyed synagogue in Melbourne, Australia after arson attack, via AP.

The government has singled out Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as the 'likely’ culprit behind the attacks, though specific evidence hasn’t been made public.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday, „These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil” and that „They were attempts to undermine social cohesion and sow discord in our community. It is totally unacceptable.”

„Strong and decisive action” is needed he said, which will also include legislation officially proscribing the IRGC as a terrorist organization. However, Australian officials have stated their beliefIran’s diplomats in Australia were not involved in the anti-Jewish attacks.

„The actions of my government send a clear message, a message to all Australians that we stand against antisemitism, and we stand against violence,” Albanese continued. „And a message to nations like Iran who seek to interfere in our country, that your aggression will not be tolerated.”

But again, there doesn’t seem to be anything in the way of a smoking-gun related to these attacks. Australian officials have only said the IRGC „used a complex web of proxies to hide its involvement, and that Australia would list it as a terrorist organization. Iran’s diplomats in Australia weren’t involved, Australian officials said.”

Still, the drastic action includes shuttering all Australian embassy operations in Tehran, and diplomats are being called home. This is something of the hardline approach of the United States.

Israel is happy, with its embassy in Australia stating, „Today, it became clear that this threat has reached Australian soil.” And that „The international community can no longer be complacent. Australia has taken a principled stand, others should consider following suit.”

The Associated Press identifies one of the men arrested in the attacks as follows:

Sayed Mohammed Moosawi, a 32-year-old Sydney-based former chapter president of the Nomads biker gang, has been charged with directing the fire bombings of the Sydney café as well as the nearby Curly Lewis Brewery. The brewery was apparently confused for the café and mistakenly targeted three days earlier for an antisemitic attack.

Interestingly, the WSJ has noted „Iran has called the plots it has been accused of false-flag operations or fabrications by Israel, dissident organizations and Western intelligence services.”

The Iranian Government decided in the midst of getting bombed by the US and israel, for their non-existent nuclear program, to hire junkie-criminals to target Australian synagogues, to undermine Australia’s social cohesion.

Have I understood that correctly? pic.twitter.com/u3GFpvj9Dk

— Ben Schalman (@OfficialT_P_V) August 26, 2025

And the AP has featured Iran’s rebuttal in the following:

Iran denied Australia’s allegations through its Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, who tried to link it to the challenges Australia faced with Israel after announcing it would recognize a Palestinian state.

“It looks like that the action, which is against Iran, diplomacy and the relations between the two nations, is a compensation for the criticism that the Australians had against the Zionist regime,” Baghaei claimed.

The move against Iran came a week after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu branded Albanese a “weak politician who had betrayed Israel” by recognizing a Palestinian state.

Both the IRGC and Iran-allied Hezbollah have long been a favorite bogeyman of the Western allies, which have accused them running global narco-terror organizations, for example in South America. However, evidence is often thin – and to date it remains that Sunni and Saudi-linked terrorism is responsible for most terror incidents in the West, and globally.