Australia accuses Iran of antisemitic attacks, expels envoy

AWANI

Australia expelled Iran’s ambassador after accusing Tehran of orchestrating antisemitic arson attacks in Sydney and Melbourne. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the acts foreign aggression, while Canberra also moved to blacklist Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

Transcript

00:00Australia has taken the unprecedented step of expelling Iran's ambassador,

00:05accusing Tehran of orchestrating two anti-Semitic arson attacks last year.

00:10Ahmad Saddiqi and three other Iranian officials will have seven days to leave the country.

00:16It marks the first time Australia has expelled an ambassador since World War II.

00:20ASIO has now gathered enough credible intelligence to reach a deeply disturbing conclusion

00:30that the Iranian government directed at least two of these attacks.

00:36Iran has sought to disguise its involvement, but ASIO assesses it was behind the attacks

00:41on the Lewis Continental Kitchen in Sydney on October 20 last year

00:47and the Adas Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on December 6 last year.

00:54The Australian government will also designate Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

00:59as a terrorist organization.

01:02Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia would continue to maintain some diplomatic lines with Tehran,

01:08but had suspended operation at its embassy in Iran for the safety of staff.

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