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3. Australia Designates Iran’s IRGC as State Sponsor of Terrorism

Australia has officially designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a state sponsor of terrorism, the Foreign Ministry announced Thursday.

The decision follows assessments by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) that the IRGC orchestrated two attacks targeting Australia’s Jewish community: the bombing of Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in Sydney in October 2024, and an attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne two months later.

“These cowardly attacks on Australian soil were designed to undermine and sow division in our multicultural society by targeting Jewish Australians to inflict harm and stoke fear,” the ministry said in its statement.

Canberra responded by passing the Criminal Code Amendment (State Sponsors of Terrorism) Act 2025, which establishes new mechanisms to address state-directed terrorism. The IRGC became the first entity listed under this framework, after the Minister for Home Affairs determined it met the criteria under Division 110 of the Criminal Code. The decision, officials said, was based on intelligence and advice from national security and policy agencies.

The government stressed that the designation is intended to deter and disrupt terrorist activity, while alerting the public that dealings with the IRGC now carry serious criminal penalties. Under Part 5.3A of the Criminal Code, offenses related to directing, supporting, funding, or associating with a listed state sponsor of terrorism carry prison sentences of up to 25 years.

“This listing is a reminder that terrorist activity does not stop at our borders,” the statement added, noting that Australia will continue working with international partners to counter global terrorism and violent extremism.