Iranian-Australians Report โIncreasedโ Scrutiny Following Government Response โto Attacks
SYDNEY – Members of the Iranian โcommunity inโ australiaโ report a rise in scrutiny andโ feelings of vulnerability โฃfollowing the Australian government’s condemnation of iran’sโค involvement in โฃrecent attacks and subsequent diplomatic actions.While authoritiesโข maintain the actions are targeted at the Iranian government, community leaders express concern over potentialโ spillover effects.
The concerns stem from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese‘s strong response to alleged Iranian involvement in two recent โattacks, which he detailed โขin a press conference earlierโ this week.The government โhas not specified โขthe nature ofโค the diplomatic measures โtaken againstโ Tehran.
Raneem,a โคspokesperson โfor the โpro-Palestinian movement,stated,”We’ve beenโฃ sayingโข it for two years โnow,that ours is an anti-war,anti-racist movement.” She argued that the government’s response to Iran demonstrates available diplomaticโ levers, contrasting itโค with the lack of actionโข onโ demandsโข related toโ the โคconflict โคinโ Gaza – including calls for the expulsion of โฃtheโ Israeli ambassador, increased sanctions on israeli politicians, and an โend to Australian-supplied components used in weaponry reaching Israel. “Anthony Albanese has proved that what we’re requesting, what we’re demanding,โฃ isโ not an unreasonable measure. It’s something that can โbe used against international โคactors when there are allegations of โwrongdoing.”
However, Iranian-Australians are now โvoicing fears of being unfairly โassociated with the โฃactions of the Iranian government. โCommunity โrepresentatives report an uptick in questioning โfrom financial institutions โand increased monitoring of โtransactions. Some โindividuals have โalso โฃdescribed experiencing heightened levels of โคsuspicionโข inโ public spaces.
“It’s frustratingโ to feel likeโ youโฃ have to constantly justify your loyalty to Australia because of the actions of a regime you may not even support,” said one โคiranian-Australian resident who wished โto remain anonymous.
australia is home โtoโค aโ significant Iranian diaspora, with approximately 80,000 people of Iranian descent according toโ the โฃ2021 census.โค Many fled political โinstability and persecution in โIran, and actively oppose the currentโ Iranian government.
The โpro-Palestinian movement, which has stagedโฃ rallies including โฃa nationalโค day of โaction โฃon August 24, 2025, in Sydney’s Hyde โPark, maintains its focus โis on advocating for Palestinian rights and opposing war and racism. Raneem asserted, “We’ve asserted the whole โคtime, thisโ [the rise in antisemitic attacks] has nothing to do with the pro-Palestinian movementโฃ [or] โwith the pro-palestinian protests.” She added that the government’s โactions regarding Iran vindicated the movement’s claims of peaceful intent, despite โpublic commentary linkingโ protests to social โคcohesion concerns.
