TEHRAN – The Iranian Foreign Ministry has categorically condemned the Australian government’s stigmatizing of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Guards Corps (IRGC), saying Tehran is set to adopt whatever measure necessary to protect the status and credibility of the Iranian Armed Forces against any “hostile labelling.”

The Australian government this week designated the IRGC a “state sponsor of terrorism.” Canberra has accused the IRGC of carrying out two attacks on Jewish centers in Sydney and Melbourne in 2024 — allegations that Australian police found to be untrue after they were first raised in August.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran regards this move as illegal, unjustifiable and in violation of legal-international rules and norms regarding respect for governments’ national sovereignty,” said the Iranian Foreign Ministry in a statement.

It added Iran expresses its hatred of certain Australian politicians’ following in the footsteps of the Israeli regime when it comes to spreading lies against Iran, highlighting the Australian government’s “international responsibility for this wrongful act.”

“This irresponsible move is in line with the egregious mistake that the Australian government made based on completely unfounded accusations fabricated by the Israeli regimes security agencies and compromised age-old diplomatic ties between Iran and Australia,” the statement added.

Approximately two weeks before the controversial designation, Australia’s Parliament passed a law allowing the government to list foreign state entities as sponsors of terrorism.

The blacklisting of the IRGC had been anticipated since August, when Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador during a press conference. Albanese justified his decision by claiming that the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) had concluded Iran was responsible for two "antisemitic attacks": one targeting a diner in Sydney and the other a synagogue in Melbourne. At the same press conference, he announced his next move would be the stigmatization of the IRGC.

Albanese presented no supporting evidence for these accusations. Prior to the press conference, Australia’s federal police had already stated that 15 reported antisemitic incidents across the country—incidents which enabled the government to rush through new laws targeting pro-Palestinian protests—had been orchestrated by organized crime figures, not alleged antisemites.

Further undermining the government’s claims, a formal government inquiry in the Australian state of New South Wales fully exonerated the Islamic Republic of Iran in October from any involvement in a series of “antisemitic attacks”.

The exoneration was delivered during a parliamentary Q&A session concerning the NSW Police's "Strike Force Pearl," which investigated 14 serious attacks on Jewish properties and institutions. In a clear response to questioning, the police force stated it had "nil holdings" linking Iran or its agents to the perpetration of these incidents.

Tehran and Canberra have traditionally enjoyed frictionless ties. Australia’s unforeseen and unprecedented escalation of tensions with Iran occurred after Prime Minister Albanese faced backlash from Israel for backing a two-state solution in the occupied Palestinian territories. Analysts believe the fallout with Iran was designed to appease Israeli ire. In its rebuking statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry characterized Canberra’s actions as attempts "to pay ransom to the occupying Israeli regime."