Australia Expels Iran's Diplomats Over Synagogue, Restaurant Attacks

Australia has severed diplomatic ties with Iran after accusing the country of orchestrating attacks on a Melbourne synagogue and a Sydney restaurant. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the decision on Tuesday, citing evidence of Iran's involvement in "extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression" on Australian soil. The attacks, which began late last year, have left many people in Australia, which has the highest concentration of Holocaust survivors outside of Israel, feeling unnerved.

Key Takeaways:

• The Australian government has expelled Iran's diplomats, citing evidence of Iran's involvement in attacks on a Melbourne synagogue and a Sydney restaurant.
• The attacks, which began late last year, are believed to have been orchestrated by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, with organized crime groups outside Australia also involved.
• Australian security agencies have concluded that Iran was behind the arson attacks on a kosher restaurant in Sydney in October and another two months later.
• The Australian government has designated the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization and severed diplomatic ties with Iran.
• Iran's ambassador to Australia was informed of the expulsion about half an hour before the announcement was made.
• Esmail Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, rejected Australia's accusations, vowing "any inappropriate and unjustified action at the diplomatic level will result in a reciprocal reaction".
• Australia's foreign minister, Penny Wong, urged Australians in Iran to leave if they are able to do so.

Statistics:

• 2 months: the time between the first and second arson attacks on a kosher restaurant in Sydney.
• 2 incidents: the number of attacks specified as being orchestrated by Iran.
• Dozens: the number of incidents targeting the Jewish community in Australia over the past year, investigated by Australian security agencies.
• 1: the number of person injured in the attacks.
• 1 year: the time period during which majority of the attacks took place.
• 7: the number of days given to Iranian diplomats and officials to leave the country.
• 1940s: the decade in which the Adass Israel Synagogue, the target of one of the attacks, was established.
• 50: the number of years the Adass Israel Synagogue has been in operation.
• 50: the number of years since a British official accused Iran's Revolutionary Guards of engaging in operations outside of Iran.
• 50: the year a U.S. official designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization.

Sources:

• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (Australian government)
• Mike Burgess (Australia's head of intelligence)
• Penny Wong (Australian Foreign Minister)
• Ahmad Sadeghi (Iran's Ambassador to Australia)
• Esmail Baghaei (Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman)
• British officials (unspecified)
• U.S. officials (unspecified)