Iran’s ambassador to Australia, Ahmad Sadeghi, was seen leaving the country on Thursday, days after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ordered his expulsion over allegations that Tehran was behind two antisemitic arson attacks.

Sadeghi, who was spotted at Sydney Airport preparing to board a flight, departed following Canberra’s dramatic decision to cut off diplomatic ties with Iran. The move came after Australian intelligence officials concluded that Tehran had directed attacks on the Lewis Continental Kitchen, a kosher food company in Sydney in October 2024, and on Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue two months later.

Albanese said Sadeghi had been informed of his impending expulsion before the announcement was made public. While Australia has previously summoned the envoy over controversial remarks and social media posts, this is the first time the government has acted to remove him.

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The expulsion comes amid a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in Sydney and Melbourne since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted in 2023. Authorities suspect foreign actors have paid local criminals-for-hire to carry out targeted attacks.

Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, stressed that no Iranian diplomats in Australia were directly involved in coordinating the violence. However, he and the prime minister refrained from revealing specific evidence linking Tehran to the arsons.

The episode marks a significant deterioration in Australia-Iran relations and underscores the Albanese government’s hardening stance against foreign interference and rising domestic antisemitism.

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