Australia has formally designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a state sponsor of terrorism, marking the first listing under the country’s newly established legal framework targeting foreign state-linked terrorist activity.
The Albanese Government’s decision follows an ASIO assessment that the IRGC orchestrated two antisemitic attacks against Australia’s Jewish community in 2024 — an arson attack on Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in Sydney in October and another on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne in December. Officials say the attacks were intended to intimidate Jewish Australians and sow division within the nation’s multicultural society.
In response to these findings, Parliament passed the Criminal Code Amendment (State Sponsors of Terrorism) Act 2025, creating a new mechanism that allows Australia for the first time to list foreign state entities involved in terrorism.
The IRGC is the first organisation to be designated under this law after the Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke, determined it met the criteria set out in Division 110 of the Criminal Code. The decision was based on advice from Australia’s intelligence, security, and policy agencies.
The listing carries serious legal consequences. Under Part 5.3A of the Criminal Code, it is now an offence to direct, support, recruit for, train with, fund, or associate with a listed state sponsor of terrorism — with penalties of up to 25 years’ imprisonment. The government says the designation strengthens its ability to deter and disrupt terrorist activity linked to foreign actors.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong described the IRGC’s actions as “unprecedented and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil,” stating that the group “has no place in Australia.”
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the listing responds directly to the “despicable actions of the Iranian Government” and reflects the government’s determination to combat hatred, violence and extremism, including antisemitism.
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland emphasised that the new legislation keeps Australia’s counter-terrorism framework strong, noting the government acted “swiftly and decisively” to enable the listing of foreign state entities involved in terrorism.
The ministers collectively stressed that the designation underscores Australia’s responsibility to prevent foreign-sponsored violence from taking root domestically and highlighted the importance of the public reporting suspicious activity to authorities. The government maintains that the IRGC listing is essential to protect Australian communities from malign foreign interference and is part of its broader effort to counter violent extremism in cooperation with international partners.
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