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Australia declares Iranian envoy persona non grata, shuts its embassy in Tehran

According to Australian intelligence services, Iran is behind antisemitic attacks on Australia’s Jewish community

SYDNEY, August 26. /TASS/. Australia has declared Iranian Ambassador to Canberra Ahmad Sadeghi persona non grata and the Australian Embassy in Iran is suspending operations for security reasons, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said at a press conference.

According to Australian intelligence services, Iran is behind antisemitic attacks on Australia’s Jewish community. They insist that Iran was involved in attacks on a synagogue in Melbourne and a kosher restaurant in Sydney.

Wong said Iran’s actions warranted the first removal of a foreign ambassador to Canberra since the post-war period. "That is why we have declared Iran’s ambassador to Australia persona non grata, as well as three other Iranian officials, and they will have seven days to leave the country," the Australian foreign minister said. Earlier, Australian diplomats were evacuated from Tehran to "third countries."

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that Australia will list Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, as a terrorist organization in response to the antisemitic attacks. "These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil," Albanese said at a joint press conference with Wong and Australian security chief Mike Burgess.