Iran denies Australia allegations it was behind antisemitic attacks in Melbourne and Sydney

The Iranian government on Tuesday denied allegations it had played a role in organizing two antisemitic attacks in Australia.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the accusations and said the country was cutting off diplomatic relations with Tehran in response.

"My colleagues are investigating the issue and our response, but the accusation made is completely rejected," said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei.

The Australian Security Intelligence Organization concluded the Iranian government had directed arson attacks on the Lewis Continental Kitchen, a kosher food company, in Sydney in October last year and on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne in December last year, Albanese said.

Australian authorities have previously said they suspect that foreign actors are paying local criminals-for-hire to carry out attacks in the country.

Police have already arrested at least one suspect in the Sydney cafe fire investigation and two suspects directly accused of torching the Melbourne synagogue.

Baghaei also confirmed Iran had held talks with Britain, France and Germany amid a fast-approaching deadline for the Europeans to reimpose sanctions on Iran by triggering the so-called snapback mechanism.

The spokesperson said Tehran was willing to consider any solution which protected its right to the enrichment of uranium for nuclear energy production.

The Europeans’ concern over the Iranian nuclear program, which had been enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels before the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June saw its atomic sites bombed, has only grown since Tehran cut off all cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency in the conflict’s wake.