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Did Mossad carry out operations in Australia in 2024?
Executive summary
Australia’s intelligence and law‑enforcement agencies investigated and attributed a series of antisemitic arson attacks in 2024 to an Iran-linked network; Canberra expelled Iran’s ambassador in August 2025 and moved to list the IRGC as a terrorist organisation after those incidents [1] [2]. In October 2025 Israel’s Mossad publicly named a senior IRGC/Quds Force commander, “Sardar Ammar,” and said his network was behind thwarted attacks in Australia (and Greece and Germany) in 2024–25; those Mossad claims are reported by multiple outlets but represent Israel’s public attribution rather than an Australian unilateral confession of Mossad operational activity on Australian soil [3] [1] [4].
1. What reporting actually says about 2024 attacks in Australia
Australian reporting and official statements link two 2024 incidents — an October firebombing in Sydney and a December arson attack on Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue — to an Iran‑linked campaign according to Australian security agencies; Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Australia acted on its own intelligence when it expelled Iran’s ambassador and pursued legal steps [5] [2].
2. Mossad’s October 2025 disclosure and its claims
On Oct. 26, 2025 Mossad publicly identified “Sardar Ammar” as a senior Quds Force commander it alleges led a network that planned/ran attacks and attempted attacks against Jewish and Israeli targets in 2024–25, including the incidents in Australia; that announcement and related coverage state Mossad helped uncover and “thwart” numerous plots and provided details to partners [3] [4] [6].
3. Did Mossad itself conduct operations inside Australia in 2024?
Available sources do not report Mossad conducting kinetic operations on Australian soil in 2024. The available coverage describes Mossad identifying and exposing an Iran‑linked network and says Mossad provided information that assisted investigations, but it does not claim Mossad carried out arrests or direct-on‑the‑ground operations inside Australia — Australian agencies (ASIO and law enforcement) are described as conducting the bulk of the investigations [1] [4] [2]. If you are asking whether Mossad executed attacks or covert actions in Australia in 2024, that specific claim is not found in current reporting.
4. How Australian officials describe their role and intelligence sharing
Australia’s officials stressed they acted on Australian intelligence assessments when taking diplomatic action against Iran, and have said they are working through domestic investigative and legal channels; coverage notes Mossad provided information that “helped ASIO with its inquiries,” while most investigative work was done by Australian agencies [1] [2].
5. Competing perspectives and potential agendas
Israeli outlets and Mossad framed the disclosure as proof of a broad Iran campaign and of international cooperation that “thwarted dozens of attack tracks” [4] [7]. Australian officials emphasised sovereignty of their findings and decision‑making [2]. Pro‑Israeli outlets amplify Mossad’s narrative; Iranian or pro‑Iran outlets may dispute Israel’s claims, but the set of provided sources does not include direct Iranian government rebuttal — available sources do not mention an Iranian official denial in this collection [8].
6. Historical context about intelligence activity and sensitivities
Australia has had contested episodes involving alleged Israeli intelligence presence before — notably the Ben Zygier “Prisoner X” story and controversies about Mossad use of Australian passports — which contribute to public sensitivity when intelligence agencies are discussed [9] [10]. Those episodes do not prove or disprove Mossad activity in 2024; they do, however, help explain why Australian authorities emphasise acting on their own intelligence [10].
7. What remains unclear or unreported in these sources
The sources do not provide independent evidence of Mossad agents physically operating inside Australia during 2024, nor do they publish the raw intelligence on which Mossad or Australia based specific attributions [1] [3]. They likewise do not include official Iranian responses within this selection (not found in current reporting). Where Mossad is cited, the narrative is that it identified and exposed networks and shared intelligence with partners — the precise operational footprints, if any, are not described [4] [3].
8. Bottom line for readers
Reporting shows Australian agencies investigated 2024 antisemitic attacks and that Mossad later publicly named an IRGC commander it says led those and other plots; the cited coverage describes intelligence sharing and attribution rather than documented Mossad field operations inside Australia in 2024 [1] [3] [2]. If you need confirmation of any direct Mossad missions on Australian soil in 2024, that specific detail is not provided in these sources and would require further, ideally official, disclosure or investigative reporting.