Melbourne, Aug 26 (AP) Iran's ambassador to Australia is set to be expelled following intelligence findings implicating the Iranian government in at least two antisemitic attacks in the country, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Tuesday.
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) determined that the Iranian government orchestrated attacks on the Lewis Continental Kitchen, a kosher food company in Sydney, in October last year, and the Addas Israel synagogue in Melbourne in December of the same year, Albanese stated.
Prior to this announcement, the Australian government informed Iran's Ambassador to Australia, Ahmad Sadeghi, of his impending expulsion. Additionally, Australian diplomats stationed in Iran have been relocated to a third country, according to Albanese.
The incidents coincide with a marked increase in antisemitic activities in Sydney and Melbourne, particularly since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2023.
"ASIO has gathered sufficient credible intelligence to draw a deeply concerning conclusion. The Iranian government orchestrated at least two of these attacks. Although Iran has tried to conceal its involvement, ASIO's assessment reveals otherwise," Albanese told reporters, referencing the main domestic intelligence agency.
In response, Australia plans to introduce legislation designating Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, Albanese affirmed.
"These actions represent extraordinary and perilous acts of aggression by a foreign nation on Australian soil," Albanese declared.
"They represent efforts to disrupt social harmony and create division within our community. This is absolutely unacceptable," he emphasized. (AP)
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