Australia accused Iran on Tuesday of executing two anti-Semitic arson attacks in the cities of Sydney and Melbourne and gave Tehran’s ambassador seven days to leave the country, its first such expulsion since World War Two.

Since the Israel-Gaza war began in October 2023, Australian homes, schools, synagogues and vehicles have been targeted in anti-Semitic vandalism and arson, while Islamophobic incidents have surged.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) had gathered credible intelligence that Iran had directed at least two attacks.

“These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil,” Albanese told a press briefing.

“They were attempts to undermine social cohesion and sow discord in our community. “Iran had sought to “disguise its involvement” in last year’s attacks on a kosher restaurant in Sydney and the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, Albanese said.

No injuries were reported in the attacks.

Australia’s decision was motivated by internal affairs and antisemitism had no place in Iranian culture, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry said.

Iran would take an appropriate decision in response to Australia’s action, state media quoted the spokesperson as saying.

Australia’s security agency said it was likely that Iran had directed further attacks, Albanese said, adding that Australia has suspended operations at its Tehran embassy and all its diplomats were safe in a third country.

The government will designate Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, Albanese added. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi and three Iranian officials had seven days to leave, in Australia’s first expulsion of an envoy since World War Two.

“Iran’s actions are completely unacceptable,” she told the briefing.

The IRGC was directing people in Australia to undertake crimes, said Mike Burgess, director general of the security agency. “They’re just using cut-outs, including people who are criminals and members of organised crime gangs to do their bidding or direct their bidding,” he added.

Israel’s embassy in Australia welcomed the action against its major rival Iran.

“Iran’s regime is not only a threat to Jews or Israel, it endangers the entire free world, including Australia,” it said in a statement on X.

The two countries fought a 12-day air war in June, after Israel launched attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Iran’s actions were an attack on Australia’s sovereignty, said Daniel Aghian, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), an umbrella group of more than 200 organisations.

“These were attacks that deliberately targeted Jewish Australians, destroyed a sacred house of worship, caused millions of dollars of damage, and terrified our community,” he said on Tuesday.