TEHRAN – More than 1,200 Friday prayer leaders, seminary teachers, elders and tribal leaders from both Sunni and Shia communities in Sistan and Baluchestan provinces have expressed strong support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and condemned Australia’s recent move to label it a state sponsor of terrorism.
The group criticized Canberra’s designation as “illegal and influenced by the Zionist regime” and said it ignored Iran’s national security and the Revolutionary Guards’ role in the fight against terrorism. They said the decision was aimed at diverting world attention from the ongoing atrocities in Gaza.
Australia last week officially designated the Revolutionary Guards as a “state sponsor of terrorism,” alleging the group was behind two attacks on Jewish venues in Sydney and Melbourne in 2024. The allegations were first raised by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and later confirmed by Australian police as unfounded.
At a press conference in August, Mr Albanese announced the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador, citing the ASIO intelligence service’s assessment that Iran was responsible for two “anti-Semitic attacks” at a Sydney restaurant and a Melbourne synagogue. At the time, Mr. Albanese suggested that the next step would be to blacklist the Revolutionary Guards.
Nevertheless, Albanon provided no evidence for the accusation. Prior to his announcement, the Australian Federal Police had already revealed that 15 anti-Semitic incidents reported across the country – incidents cited to justify new laws restricting pro-Palestinian protests – were actually orchestrated by organized crime groups, rather than political or religious extremists.
In October, the government’s case further weakened when an official inquiry in New South Wales completely exonerated Iran of any involvement in a series of alleged anti-Semitic attacks. During parliamentary questioning about Strike Force Pearl, which investigated 14 major attacks on Jewish sites and property, New South Wales Police confirmed it had “zero” information linking Iran or its operatives to the incidents.
Historically, relations between Tehran and Canberra have been stable. Analysts blame the sudden deterioration of the situation on pressure exerted by Israel on Australia after Prime Minister Albanese publicly supported a two-state solution in the occupied Palestinian territories. Iran said Australia was considering “paying a ransom to the occupying Israeli regime” in response to Revolutionary Guards sanctions.