Australia announced late in August that it had expelled Iran’s ambassador after concluding that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps played a role in a series of antisemitic incidents that followed the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, saying the decision was based on "hard evidence." Canberra said the move was the first expulsion of an Iranian ambassador since World War II.
Australian officials said the incidents, which included violent attacks on synagogues, Jewish businesses and individuals, were not spontaneous local outbreaks but part of a coordinated campaign linked to Iran’s elite military force. Authorities have declined to release full details of the material they cited publicly, saying some evidence cannot be disclosed for security reasons.
The wave of violence in Australia followed large-scale protests and demonstrations in cities and on university campuses worldwide after the October 2023 Hamas attack and the subsequent war in Gaza. In Melbourne, police investigated an arson attack at one of the city’s oldest synagogues. In other incidents, an Israeli restaurant on Hardware Lane was vandalized during a pro-Palestinian demonstration that escalated into clashes with staff, and a kosher food business in Sydney was heavily damaged, according to local reporting and police statements.
Those events prompted condemnation from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and other officials, who described violence at places of worship and attacks on minority communities as unacceptable. The government said it would take both domestic and diplomatic steps in response to the pattern of incidents.
The Australian announcement followed earlier disclosures by other Western governments that Iran had sought to influence unrest and demonstrations abroad. U.S. officials publicly acknowledged in July 2024 that Iranian actors had provided funding tied to protests on some American campuses, a claim that prompted investigations and heightened scrutiny of foreign interference in domestic demonstrations.
Commentary from policy groups and analysts has framed the incidents in broader strategic terms. Some think tanks and commentators argue that Tehran has long supported regional proxies and clandestine activities aimed at undermining Israel and Western interests; others have warned against conflating legitimate protest with foreign-directed campaigns of violence. The Heritage Foundation, a U.S. conservative think tank, has urged governments to treat antisemitic attacks as part of a wider campaign by Iranian proxies, while other analysts say further public evidence is needed to map out operational links between Tehran and individual acts of violence.
Members of the Australian Jewish community and civil society groups have urged authorities to bolster protection for places of worship and to pursue transparent investigations. Police in several jurisdictions said they were continuing inquiries into multiple incidents and had made arrests in some cases, but legal processes remain ongoing.
In August, tens of thousands of people took part in a large demonstration across Sydney Harbour Bridge that organizers called a "March for Humanity," calling for an end to the Gaza war and for an independent Palestinian state. Days later, Prime Minister Albanese announced Australia’s intention to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September, a diplomatic step that he said reflected Canberra’s view on achieving a negotiated two-state solution.
Australian officials said the decision to expel Iran’s ambassador was taken after careful review and consultation with allies. Diplomatic expulsions are rare and can prompt retaliatory moves; the full diplomatic and security consequences of Canberra’s action were not immediately clear.
Iran has in the past denied allegations that it directs or finances violent actions abroad. Requests for comment from Iranian officials on the latest Australian announcement were not included in the government statements releasing the evidence. Australian authorities said they would brief international partners and continue cooperating with law enforcement and intelligence services to investigate and prevent further attacks.
Advocacy groups, community leaders and foreign policy experts said the developments underscored renewed attention to antisemitic violence in liberal democracies and to the role of foreign influence in domestic unrest. Governments said they would balance the protection of peaceful protest and free expression with efforts to counter violence and foreign interference.
