One of Iran’s top former diplomats in Australia defected from the theocratic regime, and the revelations only came to light this week after six members of the Iranian women’s football team were granted protection.
London-based news outlet Iran International, which is not linked to the Islamic Republic regime, reported on Friday that Mohammad Pournajaf, Tehran’s chargé d’affaires in Canberra until at least 2023, had sought asylum. Another Iranian diplomat had requested asylum in Denmark, the outlet reported.
Guardian Australia has confirmed with a government source that Pournajaf had been in Australia since 2018 but had not sought protection until 2023. He has since been granted asylum.
Pournajaf remained the embassy’s chargé d’affaires until at least early 2023, having hosted the 44th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic revolution, where he reportedly praised the regime’s achievements.
Pournajaf had previously served as Iran’s ambassador to Zimbabwe and as a representative to the United Nations.
The former diplomat’s defection is not related to the current conflict, the government source stated.
Iran’s former ambassador to Australia, Ahmad Sadeghi, was expelled along with other diplomats and embassy staff in August last year after Albanese’s government accused Tehran of being behind two anti-Semitic arson attacks.
Sadeghi has denied allegations that his government was behind two anti-Semitic arson attacks in Australia, describing the accusations as “baseless”. There were no allegations that current Iranian diplomats or embassy staff were involved.
Asio said it had “credible intelligence” that Iran’s paramilitary wing, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was ultimately behind two attacks in 2024: one at Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in Bondi and another at the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne. There were no injuries in any of the attacks.
Asio said the IRGC had planned and financed the attacks through a number of intermediaries, including organized crime figures, but said it was “likely” Iran was behind further anti-Semitic attacks on Australian soil.
A total of seven members of the Iranian women’s football team were granted humanitarian visas in Australia, but one changed their mind, Home Secretary Tony Burke confirmed on Thursday.
The group, who have been granted temporary humanitarian visas offering a pathway to permanent residency, have already received an offer to train with A-League Women club Brisbane Roar.
The rest of the travel team arrived in Malaysia early Wednesday morning after flying from Sydney, Agence France-Presse photos taken at Kuala Lumpur international airport show.
