If Tehran was behind antisemitic attacks in Australia, experts say it is a sign of weakness rather than strength
Iran’s involvement in clandestine violence and espionage overseas takes many forms, but all have a single aim – to win advantage for Tehran by striking unexpectedly at the “soft underbelly” of enemies.
It’s a strategy that dates back to the 1979 revolution, and is rooted in a pragmatic if regretful assessment of Iran’s continuing weakness on the conventional battlefield.
Australian authorities have not revealed exactly what convinced them that Iran was behind a series of antisemitic attacks in the country in recent months, but the charge is plausible, experts say.
“We don’t know the full details, but the Australians wouldn’t [publicly blame Iran] unless they were pretty confident,” said Matthew Redhead, an expert in state threats and intelligence at London’s Royal United Services Institute.
