MELBOURNE, Australia — The head of Australia’s domestic intelligence agency revealed Wednesday that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard directed arson attacks against Jewish targets in Sydney and Melbourne through two agents who had previously lived in Australia.
Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), stated plainly that “Iran continues to view Australia as a legitimate target for covertly directed acts of violence.”
The attacks in question occurred two months apart in 2024. Fires damaged Lewis’ Continental Kitchen, a kosher restaurant in Sydney, and the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne. Australia formally attributed both incidents to Iran last year, setting off a significant diplomatic crisis that resulted in Iran’s ambassador being expelled from the country. Tehran has rejected the accusations.
During his annual national security briefing, Burgess disclosed that an Australian citizen currently residing in Iran had orchestrated the Sydney firebombing, while the Melbourne attack was directed by a former Australian resident now living in Iraq. He withheld both individuals’ names in order to protect active investigations and ongoing criminal proceedings.
According to Burgess, the Australian citizen held a senior position within the Revolutionary Guard and was responsible for managing its international networks. The former Australian resident, meanwhile, had been recruited through militia groups operating in Iraq. Burgess noted that the Revolutionary Guard had specifically valued this individual’s criminal ties and had actively supported his illegal activities.
That arrangement, however, came to an abrupt end. “That changed dramatically after ASIO publicly named Iran’s involvement in the arsons,” Burgess said. He added that “this person’s Iranian backers lost their enthusiasm and after further pressure from Australian and local law enforcement, they threw him in prison.”
Burgess called the investigation into the two attacks “one of the most difficult and detailed in recent ASIO history.” He had previously indicated that the Revolutionary Guard was suspected of involvement in other antisemitic crimes across Australia dating back to the beginning of Israel’s conflict with Hamas in 2023.
Multiple individuals are currently facing criminal charges in connection with the arson attacks. It has not yet been established whether those charged knew the true identity of the parties they were working for.
