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Spy chief says Iran agents lived in Australia before directing arson attacks
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guard orchestrated arson attacks on Jewish sites in Sydney and Melbourne using two agents with past ties to Australia, according to ASIO chief Mike Burgess.
- The attacks targeted a kosher eatery in Sydney and a synagogue in Melbourne in 2024, leading to a diplomatic fallout including the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador.
- One suspect, an Australian citizen based in Iran, directed the Sydney firebombing, while the other, a former Australian resident in Iraq, coordinated the Melbourne attack through militia connections.
- Following public exposure of Iran’s involvement, the latter suspect was imprisoned by Iranian-backed forces amid pressure from Australian and local authorities.
- ASIO regards the investigation as highly complex and has linked the Revolutionary Guard to other antisemitic incidents in Australia since the Israel-Hamas conflict began in 2023.
