Iran Rejects Australia’s Accusations, Vows Retaliation over Envoy Expulsion

Iran has firmly rejected accusations by Australia linking Tehran to two antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne, vowing to retaliate after Canberra decides to expel its ambassador.

During a weekly press conference on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated. He argued that Australia’s move was influenced by its domestic affairs, warning that any unjustified diplomatic action would be met with reciprocal measures.

Earlier that day, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Iranian Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi would be expelled after intelligence reports linked Tehran to at least two antisemitic attacks on Australian soil.

According to the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), Iran was behind an attack targeting the Jewish-owned Lewis Continental Kitchen in Sydney in October, as well as the assault on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne in December.

Albanese confirmed that the Iranian ambassador had been formally notified of the expulsion and revealed that Australian diplomats stationed in Tehran would be relocated to a third country for security reasons. He also declared that Australia would begin legislative procedures to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.