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Australia has suspended diplomatic relations with Iran and expelled the Iranian ambassador following accusations that Iran orchestrated antisemitic arson attacks in Sydney and Melbourne. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed that the Australian security Intelligence organization (ASIO) concluded Iran was behind these attacks, including incidents at the Lewis Continental Kitchen in Sydney and the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne. In response, Australia has also designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization and withdrawn its diplomats from Iran.<\/p>\n

This marks the first ambassador expulsion by Australia as World War II, though some limited diplomatic ties with Tehran will be maintained. The intelligence community uncovered<\/a> that Iran used proxies,including criminals and organized crime members,to carry out these attacks covertly. The moves come amid a sharp increase in antisemitic hate crimes<\/a> in Australia as Israel’s response to hamas attacks in October 2023, further straining Australia-Israel relations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Albanese for supporting Palestinian state recognition and for canceling the visa of an Israeli politician deemed to promote hate, actions that have heightened diplomatic tensions.

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