Tehran, Sept 5 (V7N) – Iran has downgraded its diplomatic relations with Australia in direct response to Canberra’s decision to expel the Iranian ambassador amid accusations that Tehran orchestrated antisemitic arson attacks in Sydney and Melbourne, state media reported on Thursday.
 
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated that under diplomatic norms, Iran has reciprocally reduced Australia’s diplomatic presence in Tehran. He confirmed that Australia’s ambassador had already departed Iran, though Iran’s consular services in Canberra remain operational.
 
Last week, Australia expelled the Iranian ambassador—its first such action since World War II—after intelligence agencies linked the attacks on a kosher delicatessen in Sydney and the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne to the Iranian regime. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described them as "dangerous acts of aggression" aimed at undermining social cohesion.
 
Australia simultaneously suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran, relocating its diplomats to a third country. Prime Minister Albanese also announced plans to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
 
Iran rejected the allegations as "ridiculous and baseless", expressing regret over the deterioration in bilateral relations and attributing Australia’s actions to external political pressures.
 
Despite the diplomatic rift, Iran’s embassy in Canberra continues to offer consular services to citizens, according to Iranian officials.
 
END/WD/SMA/