Iran found to be behind antisemitic arson attacks

In a bombshell revelation on Tuesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed that Iran was behind last year’s Adass Israel Synagogue firebombing and Lewis’ Continental Kitchen arson attacks.

Albanese told a Canberra press conference that it was possible the Islamic Republic was behind other attacks and that Australia was expelling the Iranian Ambassador, suspending operations at its embassy in Tehran, and would finally list Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a proscribed terrorist organisation.

“These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil,” Albanese said. “They were attempts to undermine social cohesion and sow discord in our community.”

ASIO director-general Mike Burgess said the agency’s painstaking investigation had uncovered links between the alleged crimes and commanders in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The IRGC used a complex web of proxies to hide its involvement, he said.

“Iran and its proxies literally and figuratively lit the matches and fanned the flames,” Burgess said.

The Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in Sydney was targeted on October 20 last year, while the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne was firebombed on December 6. ASIO assesses it is likely Iran directed further attacks as well.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Iranian Ambassador had been declared persona non grata along with three other Iranian officials, who have seven days to leave the country. This marks the first time in the post-war period that Australia has expelled an ambassador.

“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,” Wong said.

All Australian embassy staff in Tehran have been withdrawn to a third country for their safety. Wong urged any Australians currently in Iran to “leave now if it is safe to do so”.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government would introduce new legislation to list the IRGC as a terrorist organisation under the Criminal Code.

“This is an unprecedented attack on our society. It’s aimed at creating fear, stoking internal divisions and eroding social cohesion,” Burke said. “Simply, Australia was attacked and Australia was harmed.”

Burgess said the IRGC directed the attacks through “a layer cake of cutouts” including organised crime elements offshore with connections to Australia. However, Iranian embassy staff in Canberra were not involved in the operations.

In a joint statement, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, Shadow Foreign Minister Michaelia Cash, Shadow Attorney-General Julian Leeser and Shadow Home Affairs Minister Andrew Hastie called Iran’s actions “one of the most egregious acts of foreign interference against our nation since the darkest days of the Cold War”.

“All Australians are shocked to learn of the serious and chilling foreign interference which has been perpetrated by the Islamic Republic of Iran on Australian soil. The Coalition supports the expulsion of the Iranian Ambassador and the listing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation,” they said.

“The Coalition has been urging the Government to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation for more than two years — and we will back any legislative changes needed to get it done. Our Jewish community deserves safety, not excuses; this must be the start of a broader crackdown on Iranian regime proxies, foreign interference and intimidation in Australia.”

Member for Macnamara Josh Burns said the attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in his electorate “was not just an attack on a building; it was an attack on the Jewish community’s sense of belonging in Australia”.

“I know that today’s announcement that the Iranian Regime being behind this disgraceful act of terror will send shockwaves through our community once again,” he said. “But let me make one thing clear: the Australian Jewish community belongs in this country. Australia is our home.

“Australia will never tolerate an attack on our people.”

In a statement released after the announcement, the Adass Israel Synagogue said, “The community is in huge shock at the devastating attack and news of Iran involvement. We are grateful the Prime Minister called our Chief Rabbi to advise him of the breaking news and are very appreciative of all the amazing work all the agencies are doing to protect our community and Australia. We have also felt the warm support from the State government who called to express their shock.”

The Israeli Embassy said in a statement, “We welcome Australia’s decision to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. This is a step we have long advocated for. Iran’s regime is not only a threat to Jews or Israel, it endangers the entire free world, including Australia. A strong and important move.”

Iran’s regime responded to the government’s moves later on Tuesday. According to The Australian, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmail Baghaei accused Australia of aligning with “Zionist policies”, telling state media IRNA, ““Naturally, every appropriate and necessary response at the diplomatic level will be considered, and my colleagues and I are carefully studying the matter.”

The revelation comes after months of investigation by ASIO and the Australian Federal Police into dozens of incidents targeting Jewish communities, places of worship, businesses and prominent individuals since October 7, 2023.

Burgess emphasised that Iran was not responsible for every act of antisemitism in Australia, but said the regime’s actions had emboldened some local antisemitic elements.

“Most of the protest, thankfully, in our great country, was peaceful protest, but there was some threatening, intimidating actions,” he said. “Iran started the first of those targeting transitions from threatening behaviours to direct targeting of people, businesses and places of worship.”

Albanese rejected suggestions from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his government had abandoned Australian Jews.

“What I’m interested in is making a difference for Australia’s social cohesion, adopting a position which is principled, which is in line with what Australians want to see,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the government’s actions sent “a clear message to all Australians that we stand against antisemitism and we stand against violence, and a message to nations like Iran who seek to interfere in our country that your aggression will not be tolerated”.

Burke warned against allowing the attacks to create division between communities, particularly targeting Australians of Iranian heritage.

“The antisemitism that drove this attack cannot be allowed to fall blame to Australians of Iranian heritage. That is exactly the kind of disunity and division that these attacks were designed to create, and we reject that and stand together,” he said.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) president Daniel Aghion expressed the Jewish community’s gratitude “to the men and women of the AFP, ASIO, and state police forces for their single-minded focus and dedication to investigating these attacks, bringing the perpetrators to justice, and protecting all Australians from terrorism”.

“These attacks instigated by the Iranian regime are an attack on our nation and our sovereignty. As Australians, we are outraged that a foreign actor perpetrated acts of terror on our soil,” he said.

“For many years, we have warned of the threat posed by the Iranian regime. This is not a regime that merely subjugates its own citizens and wages war in the Middle East through its proxies. It has consistently shown a willingness and capability to finance and orchestrate terror all over the world. The organ of the regime directly responsible for this is the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. It is entirely appropriate for it to now be proscribed as a terrorist organisation.

“Israel’s enemies are Australia’s enemies. This is apparent. 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.”

ECAJ co-CEO Alex Ryvchin expressed hope to reporters on Tuesday that the revelations would lead to crackdown of regime sympathisers in Australia.

“We’ve seen it, not only with the Iranian regime, but with Hamas and Hezbollah for a long time, the brazen, open manner in which people feel that they can profess their allegiance or sympathy for these regimes, and we’ve warned about what that means to social cohesion and national security,” he said.

“No doubt, ASIO would have been on top of it and been very conscious and cognisant of that. But I hope this now takes it to a new level in terms of identifying sympathisers and those who are spreading the propaganda of the regime, and understanding that the consequences ultimately are in terrorism on Australian soil.”

The Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) said it was “deeply disturbed” by the revelations of Iran’s involvement and welcomed the government’s “decisive response” to expel the Iranian Ambassador and the decision to proscribe the IRGC.

“The Government’s actions today send a powerful and principled message that terrorism, foreign interference, and hate have no place in Australia,” ZFA president Jeremy Leibler said. ” Today’s announcement proves what we have long warned; that Iran’s malign reach extends into western democracies, including here in Australia. The firebombing of the Adass Synagogue is a chilling example of how Iranian state actors have sought to export antisemitism, destabilise Australian society, and endanger lives.”

ZFA CEO Alon Cassuto said “the infiltration and normalisation of terrorism and extremism in Australia has been nothing but shameful”, noting that just weeks ago, well-known Australians including Craig Foster, Mary Kostakidis, and Julian Assange, as well as current and former Members of Parliament were pictured standing in front of a photo of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Cassuto also extended gratitude to the Australian Federal Police, ASIO, and state Police agencies “for their efforts to investigate and disrupt these threats”.

Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) executive director Colin Rubenstein said the confirmation that Iran and the IRGC were responsible for the attacks “was not a complete surprise”.

“AIJAC has long warned such Iranian involvement was a possibility that should be taken seriously. But it is nonetheless a shock to see that possibility confirmed. As the Prime Minister said, this was a ‘direct assault on Australian democracy and Jewish life’ by a foreign government,” Rubenstein said.

“The government has acted promptly and appropriately in response to ASIO’s confirmation of this Iranian aggression against Australia. AIJAC welcomes the decision to expel the Iranian Ambassador and other Iranian diplomats from Australia and close our Embassy in Teheran. We also strongly welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement that he will legislate to proscribe the IRGC.

“AIJAC has been calling for the proscription of the IRGC for years. It met Australia’s legal definition of a terrorist organisation long before it began attacking Australian Jewish targets in 2024 and it is greatly in Australia’s national interest to do everything in our power to limit the power of this malign actor.”

National Council of Jewish Women Australia (NCJWA) president Lynda Ben-Menashe said, “NCJWA echoes the Prime Minister’s statement that the enemies of Jewish Australians are the enemies of all Australians. These particular enemies of the Jewish people are also the enemies of all women.

“The IRGC and the Islamic Regime have been waging a war of terror on women for decades, and we are gratified that Australia has now recognised them as the terrorists that they are.”

Ben-Menashe added, “Well-meaning Australians have been duped by Iranian and other agents. This month’s Sydney March for Gaza – billed as a march ‘for humanity’ – was led by a huge photograph of the Iranian leader and human rights abuser Ayatollah Khameni. We struggled to comprehend why others were not waking up to the reality of who so often stands behind and funds these marches and protests.

“If our government had stamped out the hate speech and incitement to violence against Jewish Australians when it first appeared at the Sydney Opera House on October 9 we might have avoided nearly two years of escalating violence. But this latest move is hugely significant. It replaces words with action.”

The Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) said in a statement, “Following this afternoon’s announcement from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that Iran was behind antisemitic attacks in Australia, including the firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue, the JCCV would like to publicly thank police and intelligence agencies for their thorough investigations.

“The JCCV will continue to work with the Victorian Government, Victoria Police and CSG to ensure our Jewish community can go about our lives in safety. We urge our community to stay united and stand together as proud Jews, to participate in Jewish life and to show courage and resilience.”

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said the incidents “were nothing less than an attack on Australia by a foreign state, primarily targeting the Jewish community and designed to unravel our social cohesion”.

“It is difficult to overstate the significance of this unprecedented news,” he said. “Those who sought to downplay the threat against the Jewish community or dismiss the campaign of terror targeting our community as a criminal con-job or hoax owe the Jewish community an apology.”

Australian Jewish Association (AJA) CEO Robert Gregory said the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador was “long overdue”.

“For many years, the AJA has called on the government to expel the ambassador and proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. We have been joined in this call by the Iranian diaspora in Australia and other Jewish organisations,” he said. ” Despite repeated warnings, the Albanese Government failed to act in a timely manner, leaving the Jewish community and Australia’s national security exposed.”

The Australian Iranian Community Alliance (AICA) called the government’s actions “a historic turning point in Australia’s approach to the Islamic Republic; an occupying regime that has, for over four decades, inflicted unrelenting brutality upon the Iranian people, and more recently, exported its campaign of terror to our own shores”.

“The Prime Minister’s remarks confirm what AICA, Iranian dissidents, intelligence agencies, security experts, journalists, and average Australians have been warning about for years: that the Islamic Republic in Iran has established and operated adversarial networks within Australia to undermine social cohesion, instil fear, and conduct attacks targeting both Australians and diaspora communities,” AICA said.

“Let us be clear: this is not a diplomatic disagreement with a sovereign nation. This is a countermeasure against a transnational criminal enterprise that has hijacked a country, plundered its resources, destabilised a region, and targeted innocent lives globally—including here in Australia.”