Iran ambassador’s ‘abhorrent’ comments ‘have no place’, Anthony Albanese says
The Albanese government has lashed Iran’s ambassador to Australia over “hateful” comments he posted on social media.
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Anthony Albanese has condemned “antisemitic comments” posted on social media by Iran’s ambassador to Australia.
Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Israel is a “genocidal regime” and that he looked forward to the “Zionist plague” getting wiped out of the “holy lands of Palestine”.
Speaking to media in Sydney on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said Mr Sadeghi’s comments were “abhorrent” and “have no place”.
“We have called in the Iranian Ambassador to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as is the protocol when something like this happens,” he said.
“I make it clear -- there’s no place for the sort of comments that were made on social media by the Iranian Ambassador.
“They’re abhorrent, and they are hateful, they are antisemitic, and they have no place.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong also earlier took aim at the ambassador, calling his words “repugnant”.
“Those comments are inflammatory, and they are repugnant,” Ms Wong said
“They are inconsistent with Australia’s values.”
She added that DFAT only maintained “a diplomatic relationship with Iran because we seek to further Australia’s interests.”
Mr Sadeghi’s post came after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered a direct strike on Israel in retaliation for the death of Hamas political leader Ismal Haniyeh in Tehran last week.
Haniyeh, pulling Hamas’ strings from Iran, was key to the group’s brutal assault on Israel last year that killed approximately 1200 and sparked the Israeli incursion into Gaza, Israeli and Western officials have said.
Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack.
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