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Anthony Albanese, Mike Burgess, Penny Wong, Mike Burke
delivered 26 August 2025
[AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: PM Statement ONLY below transcribed directly from audio]
ASIO has now gathered enough credible intelligence to reach a deeply disturbing conclusion that the Iranian Government directed at least two of these attacks. Iran has sought to disguise its involvement but ASIO assesses it was behind the attacks on:
ASIO assesses it is likely Iran directed further attacks as well. These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil. They were attempts to undermine social cohesion and sew discord in our community. This is an attack on our society, aimed at creating fear, stoking internal divisions and eroding social cohesion. It is totally unacceptable and the Australian Government is taking strong and decisive action in response: -- A
short time ago, we informed the Iranian ambassador to Australia that he would be
expelled. I've said many times that the Australian people want two things: They want the killing in the Middle East to stop. and hatred to stop, and they don’t want conflict in the Middle East brought here. Iran has sought to do just that. They have sought to harm and terrify Jewish Australians, and to sow hatred and division in our community. The actions of my Government send a clear message, a message to all Australians, that we stand against antisemitism and we stand against violence; and a message to nations like Iran that seek to interfere in our country that your aggression will not be tolerated. Mike Burgess, Director-General of Security: Thank you, Prime Minister. In this year's Annual Threat Assessment, I warned Australia's complex, challenging, and changing security environment is becoming more dynamic, diverse, and degraded: dynamic because we are confronting an increasing number of threats; diverse because some nation states are using criminal proxies to undertake acts of foreign interference, espionage, and politically motivated violence; degraded because authoritarian regimes are more willing to engage in reckless, high-harm activities. Unfortunately, all three of those characteristics apply in this case. For the past 10 months, antisemitism has been one of ASIO's most pressing priorities, involving the full use of our capabilities and powers. We have investigate dozens of incidents targeting Jewish communities, places of worship, businesses, and prominent individuals. ASIO now assesses the Iranian Government directed at least two, and likely more, attacks on Jewish interests in Australia. Our painstaking investigation uncovered and unpicked the links between the alleged crimes and the commanders in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC. The IRGC used a complex web of proxies to hide its involvement. This is the sort of obfuscation and boundary blurring I warned about earlier this year. It's important to understand that ASIO is both a collector of intelligence and assessor of intelligence. Formal assessments such as this one are not done quickly or taken lightly. Our analysts carefully weigh and weight every piece of intelligence. In this case, their conclusions are clear. ASIO is still investigating possible Iranian involvement in a number of other attacks, but I want to stress we do not believe the regime is responsible for every act of antisemitism in Australia. It goes without saying the Iran's actions [sic] are unacceptable. They put lives at risk; they terrified the community; and they tore at our social fabric. Iran and its proxies literally and figuratively lit the matches and fanned the flames. I want to assure all Australians that ASIO and our law enforcement partners take these matters extremely seriously. You do not just have the right to be safe; you have the right to feel safe. PM Albanese: Minister. Penny Wong, Minister: Thank you, Prime Minister. Can I first thank the ASIO Director-General, the AFP Commissioner, and of course, my colleague Minister Burke, for the work they've done on this issue and to keep their -- and -- and the work they do with their teams to keep Australians safe. Even before today, the Albanese Government had taken stronger action on Iran than any previous Australian Government, and we have long known that Iran and its proxies try to destabilize countries in our region and beyond. Mr. -- The Director-General has now outlined the conclusions of the -- of ASIO. Iran has sought to undermine the cohesion of our community; they have tried to divide the Australian community; and they've done so with acts of aggression that not only sought to terrify Australians, but put Australia's -- Australian lives in danger. And keeping Australians safe is our number one priority. There is no doubt that these extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil have crossed a line. And that is why we have declared Iran's Ambassador to Australia persona non grata, as well as three other Iranian officials, and they will have seven days to leave the country. This is the first time in the post-war [WWII] period that Australia has expelled an ambassador. And we have made this decision because Iran's actions are completely unacceptable. We will continue to maintain some diplomatic lines to advance the interests of Australians. In relation to our embassy in Iran, Australia had an embassy in Iran since 1968, and at that time and since that time it has never been an endorsement of the regime; it has been a channel to advocate for our interests and for our people. However, the Government has now taken the step to withdraw our Ambassador to Iran, and we have suspended the operations of our embassy in Iran for the safety of our officials and Australians' broader security. Australia's officials are, as the Prime Minister said, now in a third country. And I thank these DFAT officers and their families for their service and for their fortitude. Since 2020, Australians have been advised not to travel to Iran. Our limit -- Our ability to provide consular assistance is extremely limited. I do know that many Australians have family connections in Iran, but I urge any Australian who might be considering traveling to Iran, please do not do so. Now, our message is, if you are an Australian in Iran, leave now if it is safe to do so. This has been a distressing time for many Australians. I again thank ASIO and AFP for their efforts. The Albanese Government has been so determined through this period to keep our community united. We have sought to lower the temperature in Australia, and to not reproduce the conflict in the Middle East in Australia. And I again urge others to consider whether -- whether their actions help those who want to divide our nation. We all want the killing in the Middle East to stop, and we want to retain our character as a nation that welcomes people of different race, religion, views, united by respect for each other's humanity and our collective desire to live in peace. We will always safeguard our communities and protect Australians from all forms of hate. Thank you. PM Albanese: Minister Burke. Tony Burke, Minister for Home Affairs: Thanks, Prime Minister. I want to thank ASIO, the Australian Federal Police, and all the state and territory police forces for the work that has led to today's announcement. I know the significant amount of work and analytical rigor that goes into ASIO assessments. This is an unprecedented attack on our society. It's aimed at creating fear, stoking internal divisions, and eroding social cohesion. It's true that no one was injured in these attacks; it is not true that no one was harmed. The community of the Adass Israel Synagogue was harmed. The community that shopped at the Lewis' Continental Kitchen and the owners were harmed. The Jewish community were harmed. Other communities who were blamed were harmed. But simply, Australia was attacked, and Australia was harmed. There is antisemitism in Australia. It is real; it is debilitating. Yet, this attack was driven by antisemitism that originated in Iran. That said, nothing changes the fact that it was an antisemitic attack and nothing changes the fact that the impact is identical. For some antisemitic elements in Australia, the attack has emboldened them. Any antisemitic attack, in fact, any attack based in any dehumanizing bigotry is an attack on Australia. This extraordinary attack which occurred on our soil means we have to adapt our response to the changing threat. That's why the Government intends to introduce a new regime under the criminal code, so that we can list the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. This sends the strongest possible signal that this conduct has reached a new and totally unacceptable low. The existing regime, designed decades ago, was not intended to deal with the threats we are now facing. Australia stands together. These attempts at division will fail, and they already have. We stand together in unity and strength. The antisemitism that drove this attack cannot be allowed to fall blame [sic] to Australians of Iranian heritage. That is exactly the kind of disunity and division that these attacks were designed to create, and we reject that, and stand together. PM Albanese: Okay, we'll -- we'll hear from Andrew, then Mark, then Jacob. Journalist: Prime Minister, if we know that the Iranian regime oversaw this and it had the involvement of the IRGC, what do we know -- and perhaps this is better directed at -- at Mike Burgess -- what do we know of the perpetrators? Were they Australian permanent residents? Were they visitors, tourists? And so on. Director-General Burgess: So, all I would comment on at this stage -- so, I won't comment on any matters that may or go before the courts or are before the courts and subject to police investigations. What we have said is there's a direct connection -- that the IRGC are directing, through a series of cut-outs, people in Australia to undertake these crimes. Journalist: So, there have been arrests, haven't there? Director-General Burgess: I'm not going comment on any matters that are actually on foot. PM Albanese: Mark? Journalist: Pretty much my question. But also, is there evidence that the embassy was directly involved in this? Or who are these proxies that you're talking about? Director-General Burgess: So, the Embassy was not involved. No Iranian diplomats here in Australia were involved in this. This was directed by the IRGC through a series of overseas cut-outs, facilitators to coordinators, that found their way to tasking Australians. PM Albanese: Jacob. Journalist: Thank -- Thank you, Prime Minister. You and members of your Government have been accused by Israel's Government essentially of turning a blind eye to antisemitism. The -- The Prime Minister of Israel has -- says you've abandoned Australian Jews. In light of these revelations today, does he owe you an apology? PM Albanese: I'm not interested in personal issues. What I'm interested in is making a difference, making a difference for Australia's social cohesion, adopting a position which is principled. Which is in line with what Australians want to see. <crosstalk> PM Albanese: [directing Q & A traffic] ...then here, then here. Journalist: Prime -- Prime Minister, what -- what is the Iranian Government or diplomats, what's their response been after these allegations were told to them? PM Albanese: Well, we have informed the Iranian Ambassador [Ahmad Sadeghi] just this morning, I think in the last half hour. So, we have been -- this is a -- a decision by Australia that we have informed them of. <crosstalk> Journalist: Prime Minister, How long has the Government suspected that Iran was involved in these attacks? And what is the nature of the evidence that shows that Iran was involved in these attacks? Director-General Burgess: So, we informed the Government yesterday of our assessment. Our investigations have been ongoing since October last year and involves ASIO's own collected intelligence, the great work of the Australian Federal Police, and liaison with foreign partners. <crosstalk> PM Albanese: Charles? Journalist: Yeah, at the time of the Lewis' Continental attack, the New South Wales Police, and I have the quote here, said "We have nothing to suggest this attack is targeted and I would stress there should be no community concern." Do you admit New South Wales police got that wrong, and are we now at the situation where the Jewish community should not be concerned [sic]? Director-General Burgess: No, I don't believe the New South Wales Police got it wrong. They had to deal with what they had before them at the time. This is a painstaking, long investigation. These matters are hard, and it's taken us this long to have the evidence to actually know that the Iranians directed these attacks.1 <crosstalk> PM Albanese: [continuing to direct Q & A traffic] We're going to go, David, here, and then here. Journalist: Mr. Burgess, just a couple of things. Given local embassy staff weren't involved, this was directed by the IRGC through local "cut-outs," as you call them, is that threat ongoing? Are they still able to do this or have you stopped that? And can -- You...said these two attacks, possibly more, but not every antisemitic attack -- is Iran the major player with the antisemitic attacks we've seen in Australia? Director-General Burgess: So, a number of things in that -- in that question. Obviously, we have investigations on foot about attacks that have already occurred. Of course, if I knew or Reece knew about attacks being planned, I'm confident we and the police would stop them. Sorry, your other question was? Journalist: Is Iran the major player when it comes to the antisemitic attacks? Director-General Burgess: Ah, so if you remember, if you go back to the 7th of October 2023, we saw the rise in tension and emotion, and we saw protest. Most of that, thankfully, in our great country was peaceful protest, but there was some threatening intimidation -- intimidating actions at that time. But it was on October 24 that we saw that transition, and I'm on the record as saying this, from threatening and intimidating behaviors to direct targeting of people, businesses, and places of worship. Iran started the first of those, but not all of those are directed by Iran in our view. PM Albanese: Here. You two decide which one. Journalist: Is the Government in any way considering this to be an attack from the nation of Iran on -- on the nation of Australia? Or is it more considered to be an attack on the Jewish community, an act of terrorism? PM Albanese: Any attack on our social cohesion is an attack on Australia. We are proud of the country that we've built. A country where people can live overwhelmingly side by side of different faith, of different background, in harmony. We cherish it. We protect it. We defend it. And that's what we're doing here today. Journalist: Can I just clarify, were these attacks by Iran, were they working with criminal gangs either in Sydney or in Melbourne, or in both cases? And what was the nature of the assistance? Or...you know, was this about Iran funding criminal gangs in Australia? Was it about Iran sending operatives out here to Australia? Director-General Burgess: So, what I can say is there's a, it's a layer cake of cut-outs between IRGC and the person or the alleged perpetrators conducting crimes. In between them, they tap into a number of people, agents of IRGC and people that they know in the criminal world, and work through there, so it's a series of chain[s]. Journalist: [inaudible] criminal gangs in Australia. Director-General Burgess: There's an organized -- Journalist: [inaudible] undetected? Director-General Burgess: There is an organized crime element offshore in this, but that's not to suggest organized crime are doing it. They're just using cut-outs, including people who are criminal and members of organized crime gangs, to do their bidding or direct their bidding. Journalist: In Australia. Director-General Burgess: In Australia. But, now, you're -- you're going to, "Are there crime gangs in Australia doing this?" Not in my view. These are cut-outs all the way through. That was offshore. But they have connections to Australia, obviously. <crosstalk> PM Albanese: Phil -- Phil -- Phil -- Phil Coorey. Journalist: Thanks, PM. Just...stepping back a bit, but your Government has faced calls in the past from the Opposition and others to list the IRGC as a terrorist outfit and to expel the Ambassador, and you -- and you've resisted it on the grounds that it's important to have, you know, diplomatic relations with Iran, if only for the intelligence benefits through the Five Eyes and so forth. Is it now the case that what's happened here has outweighed -- outweighed that imperative? And is it also the case that there will be no more diplomatic relations as long as the IRGC remains in power in Iran? PM Albanese: It's the case that having received this information yesterday, we went to our formal channels and made decisions that were in Australia's national interest, based upon this changed information. [continuing Q & A traffic directing] Now, we're getting -- I'm trying to give each outlet one crack, rather than multiples. Here, and here, then here, then here. Then we're [full time?] Journalist: At -- At the height of some of these attacks, I -- I believe police saw investigators use the terms like "criminals for hire" or something in that sort of -- in that sort of realm. And that the -- the end they were working to was to -- to cause concern around social cohesion in Australia. Is that -- sort of to follow James's earlier question -- is that broadly what you are believing this -- these particular two incidents are about? Was...that part of these criminals for hire or contract criminals sort of [inaudible]? Director-General Burgess: So, correct, this tore at our social fabric. It was aimed at messing with social cohesion in Australia. Journalist: [inaudible] But money...was involved? Director-General Burgess: So, some of the alleged perpetrators were -- did this because they were paid to do it. PM Albanese: [calling on journalist by name] Journalist: Mr. Burgess, you talked -- you said that you've got enough evidence for these two specific attacks, but you believe it might be broader than that. Are you looking at incidents -- other incidents just in Sydney and Melbourne, or elsewhere in the country? And just -- perhaps for Mr. Burke, on the -- the listing, is that the Home Affairs legislation you put to Parliament today, or how quickly can that be done? Director-General Burgess: I'll only confirm we have ongoing investigations into antisemitic attacks in Australia. PM Albanese: And the answer to that is no. [traffic direction] Here, here, here. Journalist: Does this form a pattern with other countries? Or was Australia particularly targeted, perhaps because of the size of our Australian Jewish population? Director-General Burgess: So, the IRGC has form in conducting, going after dissidents or anyone they consider a threat to the regime in other countries. But this is particularly unique to Australia in terms of having a crack at our social cohesion. PM Albanese: Anna? [ph] Journalist: Thank you, Prime Minister. In terms of the information you have and the warning about Australians who might be in Iran at the moment, do you fear that Australians may be subject to retaliation in Iran because of this action? And to [the] Director-General, just in terms of the risk that this creates, given the Embassy didn't direct these attacks, do you think there's still a strong likelihood there will be more incidents, even after taking this action? Director-General Burgess: So again, we in the police are open to the possibility that could occur, and we're doing our best to get it before it stops; of course, we're not all-seeing and all-knowing. PM Albanese: On -- On the former, we took action to ensure that Australian Embassy staff were appropriately removed and safe. That was done obviously very quickly. As we've said, transparently, we were provided with this advice and evidence, more evidence obviously than -- than is appropriate to make public, because these are ongoing issues. So, we took that advice, though. We put in place measures, including the safe removal of all of our staff from the Tehran Embassy in order to ensure that they were kept safe. Thank you very much. 1 A relative standard for "wrong" notwithstanding (in which it is an academically defensible position to aver as right what was known or believed to be true at the time}, it would probably have been better, as a matter of public trust, to simply begin with "They had to deal with what they had before them at the time...." Original PM Albanese Statement Text Source: pm.gov.au Additional Original Statements and Q&A: foreignminister.gov.au
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Page Updated: 8/27/25 U.S. Copyright Status: PM Opening Statement Licensed from the Commonwealth of Australia under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. Additional Statements and Q & A Licenced from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. Image of Australian Flag = Public domain. |
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