Australia, Aug.26,2025:ASIO, Australia’s premier security intelligence agency, found credible evidence directly linking Iran—
Iran-directed antisemitic attacks Australia have catapulted Australian politics into a crisis of foreign interference. On August 26, 2025, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed that intelligence from ASIO implicated Iran in orchestrating at least two violent hate crimes in Sydney and Melbourne. This shocking development triggered a decisive diplomatic rupture between the countries.
What ASIO Discovered
ASIO, Australia’s premier security intelligence agency, found credible evidence directly linking Iran—including proxies tied to its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—to the arson attack on the Lewis Continental Kitchen in Sydney and the firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne.
ASIO chief Mike Burgess explained that the IRGC orchestrated these attacks using a “layer cake of cut-outs”—multiple intermediaries and criminal networks—to hide Tehran’s fingerprints.
Sydney & Melbourne Attacks
Sydney – Lewis Continental Kitchen
This kosher restaurant in Bondi was firebombed in October 2024, causing significant damage. No casualties were reported.
Melbourne – Adass Israel Synagogue
On December 6, 2024, the synagogue in Ripponlea, Melbourne was attacked in the early morning. A fire caused extensive damage and injured one congregant. It was deemed a terrorist act by Victoria Police shortly afterward.
Australia’s Diplomatic Response
Australia responded with unprecedented severity:
- Iran’s Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi and three other diplomatic staff were declared persona non grata and ordered to leave within seven days—marking the first such expulsion since WWII.
- Diplomatic ties suspended: Australia closed its embassy in Tehran and relocated its diplomats to a third country.
- IRGC designated a terrorist organization: Legislation will be introduced to list Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorists.
Prime Minister Albanese denounced these actions as “extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil”.
Legal and Security Implications
ASIO confirmed Iran likely directed additional antisemitic attacks beyond these two, raising fears of broader coordinated influence operations.
Security experts highlight that such overt foreign interference in hate crimes is rare—and deeply troubling. Listing IRGC as a terrorist group places legal obligations on Australia to monitor and restrict any remaining IRGC activities or proxies within its borders.
What This Means for Australia—and the World
- Sovereignty under threat: A foreign government orchestrating violence on domestic soil is a direct attack on national integrity.
- Rise in antisemitism: These attacks come amidst a broader surge of antisemitic incidents tied to international conflicts, adding strain to social cohesion.
- Precedent-setting response: First ambassadorial expulsion since WWII signals a bold shift in Australia’s diplomatic posture.
- International solidarity: Australia’s move is likely to inspire similar actions among allies, aligning with IRGC designations already in place in the US and Canada.
- Domestic repercussions: Australians, particularly Jews and the Iranian diaspora, must now confront new layers of insecurity and division.
The Iran-directed antisemitic attacks Australia revelations mark a pivotal moment in modern geopolitics and national security. They spotlight the lengths to which a foreign power may go to foment division and fear. Australia’s forceful reaction—expelling diplomats, closing embassies, and listing IRGC as a terrorist entity—sends a resounding warning: no country can tolerate orchestrated hate crimes on its soil.
