Iran slams Australia for expelling envoy, rejects anti-Semitism claims
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Iran warns of reciprocal steps while urging Canberra to reconsider.
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An Iranian woman carries a Palestinian flag in Shahr-e-Ray, south of Tehran, Iran, Thursday, August 14, 2025 (AP)
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly criticized Australia’s decision to expel its ambassador and several diplomats, describing the move as unjustifiable and a violation of established diplomatic norms.
In a statement issued late Tuesday, the Ministry dismissed Canberra’s accusation that Tehran promotes anti-Semitism, calling it “baseless” and contrary to historical fact. The statement argued that anti-Semitism has historically been a Western and European phenomenon, never linked to Iran.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry further argued that the term “anti-Semitism” has in recent years been misappropriated to silence opposition to “occupation, apartheid, and genocide targeting the Palestinian people.” It reiterated Tehran’s condemnation of what it described as atrocities and genocide unfolding in Gaza, holding backers of the Israeli regime responsible for the crisis.
Accusations against Canberra
The statement said Australia’s decision to target Iran’s diplomats “serves the policy of the Israeli regime to deflect global attention from the catastrophe of genocide in the occupied territories and to heighten tensions in the region.”
Iran also warned that Canberra’s decision undermines longstanding bilateral relations and could complicate matters for Iranian expatriates and academics in Australia.
Tehran stressed it reserves the right to take reciprocal steps in response to Australia’s action, while urging Canberra to reconsider what it described as a “misguided decision".
Iran accused of attempted arson
On Tuesday, August 26, Australia declared Iranian ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi "persona non grata" and gave him and three other diplomats seven days to leave the country.
In a simultaneous move, Canberra also withdrew its own ambassador from Tehran and suspended operations at its embassy there, which had been active since 1968.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that intelligence services had concluded Iran was behind the firebombing of a kosher café in Sydney’s Bondi suburb in October and the attempted arson at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne in December. No injuries were reported in either incident.
Tehran accuses Canberra of appeasement
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi took to X to denounce Albanese, calling him a “weak politician” and claiming that the allegations are illogical.
"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,'" Araghchi said. "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 continued, "Iran is paying the price for the Australian people's support for Palestine. Canberra should know better than to attempt to appease a regime led by War Criminals. Doing so will only embolden Netanyahu and his ilk."
The Iranian government maintains that the expulsion is part of a broader effort to align Western diplomacy with "Israel" and suppress global solidarity with Palestine.
