Iran Vows Retaliation After Australia Expels Ambassador Over “Anti-Semitism” Claims

By Staff, Agencies

Iran has pledged to take reciprocal action following Australia’s decision to expel its ambassador over allegations of “anti-Semitism”, rejecting the charge as baseless and rooted in Western history rather than Iranian culture.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei made the remarks at a press conference on Tuesday, shortly after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s announcement. He dismissed the accusation as “improper and unjustifiable”, stressing that religious discrimination is absent from Iran’s cultural, historical, and religious traditions.

“This phenomenon is a Western and European one,” Baghaei said, pointing to Europe’s long record of persecuting Jews, which he argued continues today.

He accused Canberra of using the expulsion to justify its anti-Iranian stance and to counter rare instances of anti-“Israeli” criticism voiced by Australian politicians, including Albanese himself.

Baghaei also reiterated Tehran’s opposition to efforts by the UK, France and Germany to invoke the UN Security Council’s “snapback” mechanism and reimpose sanctions lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal.

He said the three had “no legal or moral authority” to pursue such action, while Iran continued diplomatic outreach with European, Russian, Chinese, and other officials to prevent sanctions’ return.

“We hope that these efforts yield positive and effective results,” he said, adding that Iran had a “clear plan” to counter potential fallout and was alert to attempts at “psychological warfare” against its people.

Baghaei further criticized the United States for unilaterally withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] in 2018, reinstating sanctions, and later attacking Iranian nuclear sites when diplomacy failed to achieve its goals.

He said Iran’s willingness to engage in talks with Europeans contrasted with Washington’s “betrayals” and shifting positions.

Regarding cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA], Baghaei noted that Iran remains a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty [NPT] and committed to the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement.

He pointed to recent meetings in Vienna and Tehran as evidence of ongoing dialogue and the development of a new framework for cooperation.