27 November 2025

The Hon Anthony Albanese MP
Prime Minister of Australia
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Cc: The Hon Michelle Rowland MP, Attorney-General

Cc: Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs

Cc: The Hon Tony Burke MP, Minister for Home Affairs

Re: Appreciation and support for listing the IRGC as a state sponsor of terrorism

Dear Prime Minister,

On behalf of the Australian-Iranian Community Organisation (AICO), I write to express our sincere appreciation for the Australian Government’s decision to list Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a state sponsor of terrorism, under the framework established by the Criminal Code Amendment (State Sponsors of Terrorism) Act 2025 and Division 110 of the Criminal Code.

We acknowledge the Government’s clear message that foreign state-sponsored terrorism has no place in Australia, and that coercion, intimidation and violence directed at any community will be met with firm and lawful consequences. As the Government has noted, this listing also places the public on notice that certain dealings with the IRGC are now criminal offences, with penalties of up to 25 years’ imprisonment under Part 5.3A of the Criminal Code.

For many Australians of Iranian background, this decision is also deeply personal. Our community includes refugees, former political prisoners, human rights defenders, and families who have directly experienced harm and intimidation linked to the IRGC. For years, AICO and many community members have consistently called on successive Australian governments to use all available legal mechanisms to formally designate and restrict the IRGC. Today’s decision meaningfully reflects those long-standing concerns and advocacy.

AICO supports continued, coordinated steps to protect Australia’s social cohesion and public safety, including:
• strong enforcement against intimidation, coercion and foreign-directed violence;
• protection and support for victims and targeted communities; and
• ongoing engagement with diaspora communities to strengthen reporting pathways and trust in authorities.

Thank you again for your leadership on this matter. AICO would welcome the opportunity to meet with relevant agencies to discuss community safety, implementation issues, and ways we can assist in ensuring this action achieves its intended protective purpose.

Yours sincerely,

Siamak Ghahreman
President
Australian-Iranian Community Organisation (AICO)