Suspicion falls on Iran for Bondi Beach terror
Sydney terror attack may have been carried out by one person Iran-backed foreign terrorist cellIsraeli officials believe this.
According to Israeli media reports, officials cited Iran as the primary suspect and said possible links to groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba were also being investigated.
Australian authorities have not publicly confirmed any foreign involvement in this atrocity.
At least 12 people died in the country The worst mass murder in recent yearsAn attack targeted a Jewish gathering to celebrate Hanukkah, the festival of lights.
Intelligence sources said the attack on the Bondi Beach celebrations appeared sophisticated and well-planned and bore the markings of Unit 910, Hezbollah’s feared foreign operations arm.
Iran’s involvement in the attack follows a spate of terrorist plots and attacks in Australia in recent years.
Israel’s Mossad intelligence revealed in October that it had foiled dozens of terrorist attacks around the world against Jewish and Israeli targets in countries including Greece, Germany, Belgium, Sweden and Australia since October 7, 2023.
Naveed Ekrem. one of the alleged shooters
Australia ordered in August Iran’s ambassador is leaving The country claimed that Tehran carried out attacks against Jewish targets in Sydney and Melbourne, carried out an arson attack on a cafe in Sydney in October 2024, and carried out an attack on a synagogue in Melbourne in December.
Australian Security Intelligence Agency (Asio) chief Mike Burgess said his teams had uncovered “links between the alleged crimes and commanders in Iran”. Islamic Revolutionary Guard CorpsIRGC”.
Intelligence services also said they had found evidence that Iran was likely behind other attacks. Anti-Semitic incidents in AustraliaThey include attacks on Jewish schools, homes, vehicles and synagogues since the Iranian-backed Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza.
A member of the Jewish community reacts with disbelief and horror as he walks with police towards the scene of the mass shooting on Sunday – David Gray/AFP via Getty Images
Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel, said it was “too early to draw conclusions” but added: “Given the short history of Iranian activities and the 910s in Australia, they are certainly suspicious and high on the priority list.”
“It has been known for a long time that Australia has been the center of Hezbollah. Iran’s sleeper cellsIsraeli Hezbollah intelligence expert Ronen Solomon told The Telegraph: “This could even be a joint operation between Hezbollah and the Quds Force.”
“However, this will mean that it will be very difficult to pin this incident on Iran as they will want to cover it up as an anti-Semitic incident. If the investigation blames Iran or Hezbollah, Israel will respond, which will further complicate matters.”
Mr Solomon said the attackers managed to bypass local security by gathering detailed information about the target and thoroughly planning the attack route.
Mossad foiled Iran-backed attacks in Brazil
Before this morning’s attack, the Australian government’s national security website listed Hezbollah’s threat to Australian territory as “possible” and wrote that “it is possible that Australia’s interests could be harmed by future attacks.”
In November 2023, just a few weeks after the Gaza war broke out, the Mossad released a statement saying they had thwarted a Hezbollah plot against Israel and Israel that was “directed and financed by the Iranian regime.” Jewish targets in Brazil.
“Given the backdrop of the war against the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza, Hezbollah and the Iranian regime continue to operate worldwide to attack Israeli, Jewish and Western targets,” the statement said at the time.
Mr Citrinowicz, the former head of the Iran branch of Israeli defense intelligence, added: “They may also be hiring proxies, criminals or people from the local community, which is Iran’s modus operandi. But Iran’s targeting of Jewish facilities in Sydney and Melbourne really shows that.”
“But we cannot ignore the Sunnis either. We know that Al Qaeda and ISIS are also operating in Australia. This will not be an easy investigation as to whether it is Iran or Hezbollah because they will cover their tracks very well.”
Police cordoned off the area around the scene of the attack, described by analysts as “extremely well organized by a coordinated group” – George Chan/Getty Images
He said Sunday’s attack appeared complex and well-planned, as opposed to an opportunistic murder. “This isn’t something you do ‘from now on’ and they appear to be quite skilled at using their weapons. Seems quite organised.”
An Israeli intelligence source, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Telegraph that authorities were keeping an open mind but that the operation had the characteristics of a state-sponsored activity.
“It was very well organized in advance by a coordinated group, and the amount of ammunition and long-range weapons indicate this,” the source said.
The Mossad said in October that it identified senior IRGC-Quds Force commander General Ammar as the mastermind behind a transnational network responsible for anti-Semitic attacks in several Western countries, including Australia.
Mossad claimed that the network intensified its activities following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack targeting Jewish and Israeli sites around the world.
