Bondi Beach Pogrom
Israeli Officials: Iran May Be Behind Bondi Beach Shooting
The Bondi Beach terror attack during Chanuka candle lighting has roiled the Jewish world. Israeli officials say it may have been carried out on orders from Tehran.
Israeli security officials are examining whether Iran may be linked to the deadly shooting at a Chanuka candle lighting in Australia, an Israeli source said, as Jerusalem points to Tehran’s long-running role in directing violence against Jews and Israelis worldwide.
According to the source, Israel’s defense establishment is assessing whether the attack fits Iran’s established pattern of operating through proxies, affiliates, or inspired actors abroad. The review comes as Israel says Iran has been leading a multi-front war against it since October 7, using Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and other Iranian-backed groups, while also attacking Israel directly and carrying out or encouraging attacks beyond the Middle East.
Tehran funds, arms, trains, and directs Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Shiite militias across Syria and Iraq, while also backing Houthi attacks on Israeli and international targets. Israel has also accused Iran of direct involvement in missile and drone attacks launched toward its territory during the war.
Beyond the battlefield, Iran has a long record of targeting Jewish and Israeli sites overseas. Iranian operatives and Hezbollah cells have been tied to attacks and foiled plots against Jewish institutions and Israeli nationals in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa over the past decade. Israeli and Western intelligence agencies have repeatedly warned that Jewish communities abroad are viewed by Tehran as legitimate targets during periods of escalation.
Israeli officials say Iran often operates indirectly, using local extremists or criminal networks, while maintaining deniability. This approach, they say, allows Tehran to expand the conflict globally without overt fingerprints.
Authorities emphasized that no final conclusions have been reached regarding the Australia shooting and that the assessment is ongoing. Israel is reportedly coordinating with international partners as investigations continue.
The possibility of Iranian involvement, officials said, must be viewed within the broader context of a global campaign that Israel says Iran has been waging against Jews and Israelis since the outbreak of the war.