Sydney, Australia – Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced on Thursday that Australia has officially designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps as a “state terrorist” organization.
This move is unprecedented in diplomacy and comes
against the backdrop of an intelligence assessment.
The Revolutionary Guard was revealed to be involved in orchestrating
attacks targeting the Jewish community within the country.
An assessment by Australian intelligence and security agencies revealed
that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard had planned two
arson attacks motivated by anti-Semitism.
They targeted the “Louis Continental Kitchen” restaurant in Sydney in October 2024,
And the Adas Israel synagogue in Melbourne in December of the same year.
Expulsion of Tehran’s ambassador
According to Reuters, the Australian government expelled Tehran’s ambassador last Tuesday.
He was given seven days to leave.
This is in a move that represents Australia’s first diplomatic expulsion since World War II.
In response to this threat, the government issued new legislation,
the Criminal Law Amendment (State Sponsors of Terrorism) Act of 2025.
Which established a legal framework for dealing with state-sponsored terrorism.
Under this framework, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard became
the first entity to be officially listed as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stated that the group
met the listing criteria under Section 110 of the Criminal Code.
The Revolutionary Guard is on the terrorism list
Burke said in a statement: “The inclusion of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard
on the list is a direct response to the reprehensible actions of the Iranian government,
It enhances the ability of our police, security, and intelligence
agencies to confront hatred and violence.”
He added: “The Australian government is committed to keeping
Australians safe and restricting extremist activity in our country.”
This is regardless of their origin. All Australians deserve to feel safe and belong.
Therefore, legislative amendments were made that allowed the inclusion
of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on the list of terrorist organizations.
The government will continue to combat intolerance
in all its forms, including anti-Semitism.
