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Australian citizen working as spy for Iran ‘orchestrated’ Bondi firebombing, Asio boss says

The Guardian World Wednesday 24 June 2026, 10:05 UTC By Sarah Basford Canales 1 min read
Key Points

Mike Burgess’s annual threat assessment warns social media is ‘amplifying’ an erosion of trust in institutions, promoting discord and heightening polarisationGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn Australian citizen working as a senior intelligence officer for Iran “orchestrated” a firebombing in Bondi, the country’s top spy has revealed, while a former Australian resident in Iraq directed the attack on a Melbourne synagogue. The homegrown ties to Australia’s “summer...

Mike Burgess’s annual threat assessment warns social media is ‘amplifying’ an erosion of trust in institutions, promoting discord and heightening polarisation

An Australian citizen working as a senior intelligence officer for Iran “orchestrated” a firebombing in Bondi, the country’s top spy has revealed, while a former Australian resident in Iraq directed the attack on a Melbourne synagogue.

The homegrown ties to Australia’s “summer of antisemitism” are contained in a wide-ranging speech given by Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation’s (Asio) director general, Mike Burgess, on Wednesday night, in which he said the “hatred of Jews is one thing virtually all the violent extremist cohorts have in common”.

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Australian (ORG) Iran (LOCATION) Bondi (LOCATION) Asio (PERSON) Mike Burgess’s (PERSON) Iraq (LOCATION) Melbourne (LOCATION) Australia (LOCATION) Australian Security (ORG) Intelligence Organisation’s (ORG) Mike Burgess (PERSON) Jews (ORG)
Originally published by The Guardian World Read original →

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