Overview

• ASIO assessed that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard directed the Oct. 20 attack on Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in Sydney and the Dec. 6 arson at Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue using overseas cut-out facilitators.
• Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi and three other Iranian diplomats were declared persona non grata with seven days to leave, marking Australia’s first ambassadorial expulsion since World War II.
• Canberra withdrew its diplomats to a third country, suspended consular services in Iran, and urged Australians there to leave as travel advice was raised to “do not travel.”
• Counter-terrorism investigators have charged suspects over the Melbourne synagogue attack and continue probing links, with ASIO assessing it is likely Iran directed additional attacks.
• Iran rejected the allegations and warned of reciprocal steps, while ASIO said no Iranian diplomats in Australia were involved in directing the operations.