Just when you think that the Australian Government cannot sink any lower, the prime minister still manages to surprise!_

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We have now been made aware of accusations that the Republic of Iran was involved in two antisemitic “incidents” in Australia.

No one killed. No one hurt. Relatively minor property damage.

Yet these accusations, based on intelligence shared with ASIO from “foreign partners” (presumably Israel), were sufficient for the prime minister to decide, for the first time in Australia’s history, to expel the Iranian ambassador.

Yes, you heard it correctly.

Australia has taken no action worthy of the name against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Nor even made the most minimal efforts to meet its legal obligations as described in the “Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide”.

With tens of thousands murdered, and a famine now declared, what does Prime Minister Albanese do? Expel the Iranian Ambassador, of course…

This is a vignette of Australia’s approach to foreign policy.

An approach I describe as gaslighting the electorate, virtue signalling to our foreign “partners”.

This cynical, insidious, divisive and amoral approach is increasingly becoming a core feature of Australian politics.

For many Australians, they are no doubt incredulous as to this decision. It is Israel that is committing a genocide. It is the genocide that hundreds of thousands of Australians have marched against. Yet it is the Iranian ambassador that is expelled?

If that creates a level of cognitive dissonance, a perfectly normal and understandable response, you are not alone. For this decision is prima facie illogical and irrational.

It is deliberately so.

The gaslighting is deliberately designed to create confusion, disbelief, and most importantly division within the community. Chris Martenson has described this phenomenon, we are being treated to, as Rats in a Cage.

It is no coincidence the timing nor the angle. With last weekend’s massive marches against Israel’s genocide across the country, in addition to the recent march over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, there is enormous pressure being put on the Albanese Government to take act against Israel. Something it clearly does not want to do.

Iran is an easy target. With no popular support in Australia, there will be little in the way of resistance to this move. Further it can be used to divide those who accept the government line without question (including at this point the legacy media), and those who are sickened by the genocide. For protesting against genocide will become associated with supporting Iran.

A clever move if you are a cynic, with the added benefit of virtue signalling to both the Israeli Government and the Trump Administration, that the Albanese Government has tugged the forelock to their imperial project.

A key part of this virtue signalling relates directly to the “ Crusade against Multipolarity” of which Australia is a willing participant.

For Iran is what has been described as the “belt buckle of BRICS”.

The proxy war against Russia has failed, and will grind on indefinitely given the unwillingness of the US and NATO to acknowledge defeat (at an ever-growing cost to the people of Ukraine). China is clearly too tough a nut to crack at this stage.

Through the prism of the increasingly desperate ideologues committed to this Crusade, whether they are in Tel Aviv, Washington, London, Brussels or Canberra, Iran is the weakest (but not necessarily weak) link.

Located in a geographically crucial position (a key node of the International North-South Transport Corridor), a major source of energy and other resources ( lithium) much of which is exported to China, achieving regime change in Iran would be an enormous strategic victory for the collective West.

The decision by the Albanese Government is potentially also an indicator. An indicator that the next phase of the war against Iran is on the horizon. Having supported Israel’s egregious attacks on Iran in June, it is not hard to foresee Australian support and/or involvement in the next round.

What form this will take is unclear. In 2024, the US used both Australian airspace and Cairns airport to facilitate air strikes on Yemen. Could Australia provide similar support in a war against Iran? Or something more direct? The allegations against Iran will clearly be a key component of justifying Australia’s support and participation.

How do we stop the self-destructive path the government is taking us on? In April 2024, I described how Australia’s leadership is destroying the very fabric of this country. The situation now is much, much worse.

Julian Assange’s famous adage springs to mind: “If wars can be started by lies, peace can be started by truth.”

It is up to each and everyone one of us to expose the lies, the deception, the distractions that our leadership class and stenographers in the legacy media are subjecting us to. Our future depends upon it!

Republished from from Cameron Leckie cameronleckie@substack.com, @ 26 August 2025

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.