Iran’s foreign minister on Tuesday dismissed Australian allegations that Tehran was involved in an attack on a synagogue, accusing Canberra of scapegoating the Islamic Republic over its own people's support of Palestine.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused Iran of two antisemitic arson attacks and ordered its ambassador to leave the country. He also said Iran’s Revolutionary Guards would be listed as a terrorist group.
Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi posted on X that Tehran "is paying the price for the Australian people's support for Palestine."
"Iran is home to among the world's oldest Jewish communities including dozens of synagogues. Accusing Iran of attacking such sites in Australia while we do our utmost to protect them in our own country makes zero sense," Araghchi said.
Albanese said intelligence gathered by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization showed Iran had directed attacks on a kosher restaurant in Sydney and a synagogue in Melbourne last year.
“These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil,” Albanese told reporters.
Araghchi called Albanese a weak politician, citing remarks by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"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 added, referring to Netanyahu's remarks last week in which he accused Australia of betraying Israel and abandoning Australia's Jewish communities.
"Canberra should know better than to attempt to appease a regime led by War Criminals. Doing so will only embolden Netanyahu and his ilk," Araghchi said.
Australia's move marked the first time it had expelled an envoy since World War II when the country declared war on Japan and expelled its ambassador.
The Australian government had previously warned Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi over inflammatory social media posts, including a June message where he described Israel as “the most venomous snake on the planet” and a “genocidal regime,” the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said last week.
Albanese said the government’s actions sent a message that foreign-directed aggression on Australian soil would not be tolerated.
