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Iran has vowed to retaliate after Australia expelled its ambassador and three diplomats over accusations that Tehran was orchestrating antisemitic arson attacks on Jewish sites in the country.

Some shit you should know before you read: Roughly 36 hours ago, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese publicly accused the Iranian government of orchestrating two antisemitic arson attacks on Australian soil (one targeting Lewis’ Continental Kitchen, a kosher café in Sydney, and the other at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne). He claimed that Australia’s intelligence services had gathered “credible intelligence” linking the attacks directly to Iran’sIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to Albanese and intelligence chief Mike Burgess, the IRGC utilized a web of proxies and organized crime groups outside Australia to execute the attacks while attempting to obscure Iran’s involvement. The prime minister described the incidents as deliberate acts of aggression by a foreign state intended to incite fear and destabilize Australia’s social fabric, prompting immediate diplomatic and legislative actions.

What’s going on now: In response to top Iranian diplomats being ordered to leave Australia immediately, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that Iran “absolutely rejected” the accusations, warning that “any inappropriate and unjustified action on a diplomatic level will have a reciprocal reaction.” He suggested that Australia’s decision was influenced by domestic political pressures, particularly the recent nationwide pro-Palestinian protests, calling it an effort“to compensate for the limited criticism the Australian side has directed at the Zionist regime [Israel].”

Iranian officials framed the expulsions not as a response to credible threats but as an attempt to placate public unrest while avoiding criticism of Israeli actions in Gaza. Iranian commentators have echoed this sentiment, portraying the expulsion of Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi as an attack on pro-Palestinian advocacy.

On the other side, Israel has welcomed Australia’s action and taken partial credit for influencing the decision. Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had made “very forthright comments about the [Australian] prime minister himself,” which he implied resulted in the Australian government taking action.

Despite Israeli praise, Iran continues to deny the allegations, insisting no concrete evidence has been made public and asserting the claims are part of a coordinated narrative aimed at undermining its global position.