Iran’s expelled envoy denies antisemitic attack accusations in Australia

Iran’s former ambassador to Australia, Ahmad Sadeghi, has dismissed as “baseless” allegations that his government was behind two antisemitic arson attacks in Australia last year.

Speaking at Sydney Airport before departing the country, Sadeghi denied any Iranian state involvement and suggested the allegations were part of a political conspiracy, The Guardian reports.

On August 26, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was ultimately responsible for the attacks: one targeting Lewis Continental Kitchen in Bondi and another the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne. No injuries were reported in either incident. The government responded by expelling Sadeghi—Australia’s first such expulsion since World War II—and began proceedings to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organisation.

Sadeghi rejected the claims, saying they stemmed from a “misunderstanding between Australia and Iran” and adding, “These are baseless allegations.” He also noted Iran’s longstanding Jewish community in an attempt to counter accusations of systemic antisemitism, stating, “It’s a conspiracy against our friendly relations with Australia.”

Despite the abrupt end to his posting, Sadeghi expressed admiration for his host country. “I love Australian people,” he said.

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) maintains it has “credible intelligence” that the IRGC coordinated and financed the attacks through intermediaries, including organised crime networks. Officials believe Iran may be linked to additional antisemitic plots in Australia.

The expulsion has heightened tensions, with Iranian-Australian community leaders reporting an increase in harassment and verbal abuse directed at diaspora members. Kambiz Razmara, vice president of the Australian Iranian Society of Victoria, said the community had been calling for Sadeghi’s removal since Iran’s violent suppression of women’s rights protests in 2022.

“It is important for people to recognise that we, the Iranian diaspora, are opposed to what happens in Iran,” Razmara stated.

Australia continues to advise against travel to Iran, citing risks of arbitrary detention for citizens and dual nationals.

By Vafa Guliyeva