Australia states that it will expel the Iran’s ambassador after alleging antisementary attacks directed by the country’s government in Sydney and Melbourne.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanis said the attack was “extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression by a foreign nation”. No one was injured in the attacks, which happened last year.
Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) chief Mike Burges said that his agency had intelligence that Iran was “probable” behind more attacks on Jewish goals in Australia incidents.
Ambassador Ahmed Saidgi and three other Iranian officials have been ordered to leave Australia within seven days. Iran has not yet commented on the allegations.
Burges said: “Iran has sought to dissolve its participation, but assesses the ASIO that it was behind the attacks on the Lewis Continental Kitchen in Sydney on 20 October last year, and Edas Israel’s ARAHARAI in Melbourne on 6 December.”
External Affairs Minister Penny Wong said that this was the first time that Australia had expelled an ambassador since World War 2.
Wong said Australia would continue to maintain some diplomatic lines with Tehran, but had suspended operations in its embassy in Iran to protect the employees.
He urged the Australians not to travel to Iran and called for any citizen of the country to leave now if it is safe to do so.
Albanis said that his government would also nominate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
