In a series of dramatic developments this September, Iran’s covert operations and influence campaigns have come under intense scrutiny in both Australia and Jordan, exposing a pattern of aggression that has alarmed Western governments and regional allies alike. The revelations, reported by CPAC Iranians in Exile Coalition, United Against Nuclear Iran, and Iran International, underscore a growing consensus among security officials: Iran’s reach is global, its tactics increasingly bold, and its willingness to target both Jewish communities and regional adversaries shows little sign of abating.
In Australia, authorities uncovered compelling evidence linking Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian Intelligence Ministry to antisemitic arson attacks against Jewish community centers in Sydney and Melbourne. According to the CPAC Iranians in Exile Coalition and United Against Nuclear Iran, these attacks were not isolated incidents but part of a broader campaign orchestrated by Tehran to sow fear, spread antisemitism, and undermine Western security. The Australian government’s swift response included designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization, a move that has set a precedent other Western nations are now being urged to follow.
Iran’s reaction was swift and defiant. Rather than cooperating with investigators, Tehran severed diplomatic ties with Australia, a gesture widely interpreted as an act of open hostility rather than a mere diplomatic rift. As the CPAC Iranians in Exile Coalition put it, "This was not a diplomatic misstep but a deliberate act of defiance, consistent with Iran’s decades-long pattern of exporting terror and targeting Jewish communities." The message from Tehran, security analysts argue, is clear: when confronted with evidence of its global terror operations, Iran doubles down rather than backs down.
This escalation is not limited to Australia. In Jordan, senior officials revealed to Iran International that Iran’s threatening activities, including financing, recruitment, and intelligence operations, have tripled over the past three years. One security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the situation starkly: "Iran's threatening activities, finance and recruitment, has tripled for the last three years to the extent that there have been people in security associated with Iran who have been accused of spying for Iran." The source added, "For Iran, creating something in Jordan is important -- even if on a small scale."
These revelations follow a widely publicized crackdown earlier in 2025, when Jordanian authorities arrested 16 individuals accused of manufacturing short-range missiles, possessing explosives and automatic weapons, concealing a ready-to-use missile, and illegally recruiting and training militants. While the initial reports attributed the weapons cache to the Muslim Brotherhood—a century-old pan-Arab movement now banned in Jordan—further investigation revealed the involvement of Iran-backed groups Hamas and Hezbollah. According to the security source, "Hamas and Hezbollah were involved for money and training in Beirut. Those training them were Palestinians from Hamas while Hezbollah facilitated the sites and expertise."
Iran’s strategy, officials say, was to establish a new front in Jordan as a contingency plan after losing influence in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah suffered significant losses following a punishing military campaign in 2024. "Iran wanted to create a front in Jordan as a backup to losing south Lebanon, before that happened last year," the source explained. This shift in focus has not gone unnoticed by Jordan’s public. Over the past five to six years, national sentiment has shifted, with Iran now seen as the primary threat to Jordanian security, overtaking Israel in the eyes of many citizens. As another security source told Iran International, "Public opinion in Jordan shows that the main threat to Jordanian national security 20-30 years ago was Israel but today it is Iran, and has been for the last 5-6 years."
The regional implications are profound. In April 2025, the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kata'ib Hezbollah announced its readiness to arm the so-called Islamic Resistance in Jordan with supplies for up to 12,000 fighters. Their stated goal: "to defend the Palestinians and avenge the honor of Muslims" by targeting Israel, starting with efforts to "cut off the land route that reaches the Zionist entity," a clear reference to the Jordan-Israel border. This threat prompted Israel to bolster its border security with Jordan and conduct a surprise military drill in August, simulating a ground invasion from the Jordanian border—an unmistakable signal of rising tensions and preparedness for worst-case scenarios.
Complicating matters further, weapons from Iran continue to be smuggled into Jordan and onward to the West Bank from Syria, despite repeated protests from Jordanian officials. Tehran’s response to these protests has been dismissive. As one senior official recounted, "We told them (Iran) they cannot fly their missiles over Jordan, but they did anyway. They (Iran) don’t listen. We said they can fly over Syria, but they are adamant and have little regard for the consequences. This is a country that thinks they should be the masters of the Middle East."
While Iran has lost some regional influence following military setbacks suffered by its allies Hezbollah and Syria, the threat to Jordan remains. "The desire and will is there to focus on Jordan because they lost cards with Hezbollah and Syria, but their ability has somewhat weakened. On the borders with Syria they’d love to do more damage but they lost a lot of their operatives there and Syria isn’t friendly to them," the official noted. Yet, Iran’s willingness to defy diplomatic norms and pursue its ambitions through proxies and covert operations continues to worry security officials in Amman and beyond.
For Australia, the exposure of Iranian-backed terror plots marks a turning point. The arson attacks in Sydney and Melbourne—and Iran’s subsequent diplomatic retaliation—signal that even distant Western nations are not immune to Tehran’s reach. The CPAC Iranians in Exile Coalition and United Against Nuclear Iran have called for a unified response from the Five Eyes alliance and other Western powers. "Weak concessions have only emboldened Iran in the past, allowing it to expand its influence, arm proxies, and finance terror. A strong, coordinated response—through crippling sanctions, intelligence cooperation, and diplomatic expulsions—can dismantle Iran’s terror networks and expose its deceptive diplomacy," the groups argue.
The situation presents Western governments with a stark choice: confront Iran’s aggression head-on or risk further attacks on their own soil. The Australian precedent—designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization—has been lauded by security experts as a necessary first step. But as events in Jordan make clear, countering Iran’s ambitions will require not just designations and sanctions, but close intelligence cooperation, regional partnerships, and a willingness to call out Tehran’s actions for what they are.
As the world watches, the stakes could not be higher. Iran’s campaign of terror, from the streets of Sydney to the borders of Jordan, has laid bare the regime’s intent and capabilities. The response from the international community in the coming months will determine whether Tehran’s ambitions are checked—or whether its shadow will continue to grow unchecked across the globe.
