Iran condemns deadly attack on Jewish holiday event in Sydney

Iran’s foreign ministry on Sunday denounced a deadly shooting at a Jewish holiday event in Sydney, months after Canberra severed ties with Tehran over allegations of its involvement in attacks targeting Jewish communities in Australia.

"As a matter of principle, Iran condemns the violent attack against civilians in Sydney, Australia," Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said in a post on X.

"Terror violence and mass killing shall be condemned, wherever they're committed, as unlawful and criminal."

Eleven people were killed and 29 were taken to hospital after gunmen opened fire on Jewish people observing Hanukkah at Bondi Beach in Australia, New South Wales Police said.

One of the gunmen has been named as 24-year-old Naveed Akram, who was likely a Muslim man of Pakistani origin, a senior law enforcement official told ABC News.

Australian authorities are investigating whether Iran may be linked to the deadly shooting, according to a Jewish community leader cited by The Times of Israel.

In August, Australia accused Iran of two antisemitic arson attacks and ordered its ambassador to leave the country within seven days.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said intelligence gathered by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization showed Iran had directed attacks on a kosher restaurant in Sydney and a synagogue in Melbourne last year.

“These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil,” Albanese told reporters at the time.

ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess said Iran had “sought to disguise its involvement,” but the agency assessed it was behind the attacks on the Lewis Continental Kitchen in Sydney on 20 October last year, and the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on 6 December.

He said Iran was “likely” behind further incidents targeting Jewish Australians.