Australia expels Iranian ambassador

Iran has reduced the level of Australia's diplomatic presence in the country following Canberra's expulsion of Iranian Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi last month, Iran's Khabar Foori news website reported Thursday, reported Xinhua.

Australia's Ambassador to Iran Ian McConville has left the country, while the consular section of Iran's embassy in Canberra remains operational and is trying to provide services to Iranian nationals in Australia despite imposed limitations, Khabar Foori quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying.

Baghaei described Canberra's expulsion of Iranian ambassador as "unjustified" said it "affects the two nations' ties."

On Aug. 26, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a press conference accused Iran of directing antisemitic attacks in Australia and announced that Sadeghi had been told to leave the country.

Three other Iranian officials had also been expelled from Australia.

Albanese said Australia had gathered credible evidence that Iran directed at least two antisemitic attacks against the Australian Jewish community in Sydney and Melbourne since October 2023.

He said that the Australian embassy in Tehran had suspended operations and all its diplomats are safe in a third country, and that Canberra would move to list Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.

According to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, it was the first time an ambassador had been expelled from Australia since World War II.

Later that day, Iran condemned Canberra's move, and accused Australia of following Israeli policies to divert attention from Israel's "ongoing atrocities" in Gaza and to increase regional tensions, and warned of possible reciprocal measures.

On Aug. 27, Canberra rejected the claim that its expulsion of Sadeghi and the suspension of its own embassy were taken to appease Israel.