Iran expels Australian ambassador in diplomatic retaliation

Iran has taken reciprocal measures against Australia following Canberra’s actions on August 26, when it accused the Islamic Republic of supporting anti-Semitism and expelled the Iranian ambassador.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated, “In accordance with diplomatic law, in response to Australia’s actions, the Islamic Republic of Iran has also reduced Australia’s diplomatic presence in Iran. The Australian ambassador has left the country,” Caliber.Az reports via Iranian media.

On August 26, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador to Australia, Ahmad Sadeghi, and three other Iranian diplomats, giving them seven days to leave the country. This marked the first time Australia had expelled an ambassador since World War II. The decision followed a months-long investigation by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), which concluded that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had directed at least two anti-Semitic arson attacks in Australia: one on the Lewis Continental Kitchen, a kosher restaurant in Sydney, on October 20, 2024, and another on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on December 6, 2024.

Australia also suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran, withdrawing all diplomats to a third country for safety, and announced plans to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, a move supported by the Australian Iranian Community Alliance but criticised by some as escalating tensions.

By Khagan Isayev