ALBAWABA- Iran has strongly rejected Australia’s accusations that it orchestrated antisemitic arson attacks on Jewish sites, denouncing the move as politically motivated and pledging reciprocal measures after Canberra expelled its ambassador and three diplomats.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said “antisemitism has no place in Iran,” describing it as “a Western phenomenon.” He argued that the allegations were “compensation” for rare instances when Australian politicians criticized Israel.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a post on X, went further, accusing Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of weakness after ordering the expulsions. “I am not in the habit of joining causes with wanted war criminals, but Netanyahu is right about one thing: Australia’s PM is indeed a weak politician,” he wrote.
Araghchi also pointed to Iran’s historic Jewish community as evidence of Tehran’s rejection of antisemitism. “Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest Jewish communities, with dozens of synagogues.
Accusing Iran of attacking such sites in Australia while we protect them in our own country makes zero sense,” he added. He claimed Iran was being punished for widespread Australian support for Palestinians.
The diplomatic crisis escalated after Prime Minister Albanese announced on August 26 that intelligence had linked Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to at least two arson attacks in 2024, including one targeting the Adass Synagogue in Melbourne.
He described the incidents as “extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation” that threatened social cohesion and intimidated Australia’s Jewish community, estimated at 120,000.
“This conduct has no place in Australia,” Albanese said, confirming the expulsion order, the first of its kind since World War II. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke called it “an extraordinary attack on Australia’s sovereignty.”
In addition to the expulsions, Australia suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran, relocated diplomats to a third country, and announced plans to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged Australians still in Iran to leave immediately, warning of the risk of arbitrary detention.
The dispute comes amid heightened tensions following mass protests across Australia against Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Araghchi, in his statement, accused Canberra of trying to “appease a regime led by war criminals,” warning that such steps would only embolden Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
