Man recruited by Iran, living in Iraq, directed attack on Melbourne synagogue, security chief says

A former Australian resident living in Iraq directed the attack on Melbourne Adass Israel Synagogue in December 2024, the head of ASIO Mike Burgess reveals.

Burgess says Iran, which was behind the attack, recruited the man through a “complex web of Iraqi-based militia groups.”

“Valuing his high wealth and criminal connections, the IRGC [The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] protected him and supported his illegal enterprises.

“That changed dramatically after ASIO publicly named Iran’s involvement in the arsons.

“This person’s Iranian backers lost their enthusiasm, and after further pressure from Australian and local law enforcement, they threw him in prison.”

Burgess gives the details while delivering his Annual Threat Assessment speech. He also says an Iran-based Australian citizen orchestrated the firebombing of the Lewis Continental Kitchen in Bondi in October 2024, which was the “the first major attack in the summer of antisemitism.”

“This person is a senior agent of the IRGC Quds Force, running its networks around the world.

“We know more about him than he realizes, including the name of his superior in Iran and the department he works for. Department eleven-thousand, a covert unit within the IRGC Qods Force, is responsible for coordinating operations in the West.”

Burgess says he can’t name the individuals because of the need to protect continuing investigations and related prosecutions.

“But I want them to understand this: We know who you are, we know what you’ve done and we know who you work for.”

On antisemitism generally, Burgess says it is often seen through a narrow lens. But it could come from “diverse sources simultaneously, challenging traditional definitions, assumptions, and approaches.”