Australia Labels Iran’s IRGC a Terror Sponsor

In a powerful stand against state-backed antisemitism, Australia has officially declared Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a state sponsor of terrorism. The move, announced by the federal government this week, follows intelligence findings that the IRGC orchestrated antisemitic firebombings at Jewish sites in Sydney and Melbourne in 2024.

The designation marks the first use of Australia’s new “state sponsors of terrorism” framework, adopted earlier this year. It criminalizes all forms of material support for the IRGC—including recruitment, training, funding, or collaboration with penalties reaching up to 25 years in prison.

The decision came after ASIO, Australia’s top security agency, concluded that IRGC-linked operatives used local proxies to target Jewish institutions in an attempt to sow fear and division. Among the sites attacked were Lewis’ Continental Kitchen, a kosher deli in Sydney, and the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne both pillars of Australia’s vibrant Jewish community.

The Australian government has already taken diplomatic action, expelling Iran’s ambassador and suspending embassy operations in Tehran in response to what it views as a deliberate campaign of foreign-directed terror.

“This is not just an attack on property it is an attack on the heart of Australian values,” said a senior government official. “We will not allow foreign regimes to target Australians or attempt to intimidate our communities.”

The move aligns Australia more closely with key allies like the United States and Israel, who have long recognized the IRGC as the strategic center of Iran’s global terror network. From Hezbollah in Lebanon to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, the IRGC funds, trains, and directs terror groups with one shared goal: attacking Jewish and Western interests at home and abroad.

For Jewish Australians, the listing offers a clear and decisive response to rising antisemitism that has moved beyond hate speech and protests to direct violent attacks. The government’s action sends a loud message: terror will not be tolerated, and Jewish Australians will be protected.

For Iran, it’s another sign that the international community is growing less tolerant of state-sponsored terror. The price for exporting antisemitic violence is now legal isolation and criminal accountability.

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