Iran has vowed to retaliate after Australia expelled its ambassador, Ahmad Sadeghi, accusing Tehran of orchestrating antisemitic arson attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.

“The accusation that has been made is absolutely rejected,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tuesday, warning that “any inappropriate and unjustified action on a diplomatic level will have a reciprocal reaction.”

The move follows Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s claim that Iran directed the torching of a kosher café in Sydney’s Bondi suburb in October 2024 and a major arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne that December. No injuries were reported in either incident.

Australia declared Sadeghi “persona non grata” and gave him, along with three other Iranian officials, seven days to leave. Foreign Minister Penny Wong noted it was the first time since World War II that Canberra has expelled an ambassador. Australia also withdrew its envoy from Tehran and suspended embassy operations there, breaking a diplomatic presence that dated back to 1968.

Baqaei suggested the decision was shaped by domestic politics, pointing to large-scale pro-Palestinian protests in Australia against Israel’s war in Gaza.

“It seems that this action is taken in order to compensate for the limited criticism the Australian side has directed at the Zionist regime,” he said.

Despite the escalation, the Australian government said it will preserve limited diplomatic channels with Iran to protect its interests.