Australia expels Iranian ambassador over antisemitic attacks in Melbourne, Sydney
Canberra: Australia has expelled Iran’s ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi after intelligence services concluded that Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was responsible for two antisemitic arson attacks in Sydney and Melbourne. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said intelligence agencies had reached the “deeply disturbing conclusion” that the IRGC orchestrated the October 2024 firebombing of the Lewis Continental Café, a kosher café in Sydney’s Bondi, and the December 2024 arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne. No casualties were reported in either incident, but Albanese described them as “extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression” aimed at undermining social cohesion in Australia.
The government has declared Ambassador Sadeghi persona non grata and ordered him, along with three other Iranian officials, to leave within seven days. Australia has also withdrawn its ambassador from Tehran and suspended embassy operations there. Foreign Minister Penny Wong underlined the gravity of the step, noting it was the first expulsion of a foreign ambassador by Australia since World War II. She warned Australians not to travel to Iran and urged those currently there to leave if it is safe to do so, citing “extremely limited” consular support.
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) chief Michael Burgess said a detailed investigation confirmed that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard directed at least two, and likely more, attacks on Jewish interests in Australia through a “complex web of proxies.” He said Iran’s actions were unacceptable, endangered lives, and threatened the country’s social fabric.
Daniel Aghion, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, welcomed the government’s findings but said the Jewish community remained anxious at being targeted “in such a callous and calculated way by a ruthless foreign force.” The Australian government has also announced plans to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, a move welcomed by Israel’s embassy in Canberra, which described it as a “strong and important step.” Iran’s embassy in Canberra has not immediately commented on the decision.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Gurupura: Bus-lorry collide near Bellibettu, drivers critically injured
6 Lakh in cash recovered during rescue operation
Bajpe: A private bus and a lorry collided head-on near Bellibettu bus stand on Wednesday, leaving both drivers seriously injured.
According to sources, the private bus was travelling from Mangaluru to Karkala and a lorry was heading towards Mangaluru.
The impact of the collision was severe, leaving the front portions of both the bus and the lorry completely crushed.
According to locals, the drivers of both vehicles were trapped inside the mangled vehicles and had to be rescued by cutting parts of the damaged vehicles using a gas cutter. Passengers travelling in the bus sustained minor injuries.
The injured drivers were shifted to a private hospital in the city for treatment. Personnel from the Bajpe police station visited the spot, conducted an inspection, and registered a case.
Meanwhile, it has been learnt that during the rescue operation, a local resident, Rafiq Gurupura, found around Rs 6 lakh in cash while cutting open parts of the bus.
The amount was subsequently handed over to the Bajpe police. The rescue operation was carried out by locals including Rafiq, Shivarama, Raoof, Fazil and others.
