Iranian Ambassador Expelled from Australia Amid Allegations

Sydney, August 28 (AP) - Iran's ambassador to Australia was observed preparing to depart the country on Thursday, following Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's directive ordering his expulsion. The move comes amid allegations that Tehran orchestrated at least two antisemitic arson attacks in Australia.

Television networks Network Seven and Network Nine interviewed Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi as he made his way to the airport in Sydney.

Prime Minister Albanese severed diplomatic ties with Iran on Tuesday, following Australian intelligence findings that Tehran was behind arson attacks on the Lewis Continental Kitchen, a kosher food company in Sydney, in October 2024, and on Melbourne's Adass Israel Synagogue two months later.

The Australian government informed Sadeghi of his forthcoming expulsion just before making the allegations public, according to Albanese.

Albanese had previously resisted calls to expel Iran’s envoy, including instances in 2024 when Sadeghi was summoned by foreign ministry officials over controversial social media posts, analysts noted.

Incidents of antisemitism in Sydney and Melbourne have markedly increased since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2023. Australian authorities have suggested that foreign entities may be hiring local criminals to carry out attacks within the country.

Mike Burgess, the director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, stated that no Iranian diplomats in Australia were involved in coordinating the attacks.

Neither Burgess nor Albanese provided details on the evidence linking Iran to these incidents. (AP)

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