26-09-2026: As the US/Israeli war of aggression on Iran drags on, the various ruling classes of the West are scrambling to find new justifications for a war that almost no one backs. In Australia, the Director General of the domestic spy agency ASIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation) has once again been wheeled out to retail tall tales in an attempt to whip up support for an unprovoked war. In a speech delivered for the annual “threat assessment”, Mike Burgess claimed that he personally warned prominent Jewish Australians that they could be targeted for assassination by Iran (!). No evidence substantiating this was offered at all. Neither was any evidence referred to with the following claim that China was the top concern for sabotage and espionage, stating that Beijing was capable of shutting down critical infrastructure assets if a conflict with Australia broke out.[1] At this stage, less and less people are paying attention to such groundless scaremongering, as ASIO continues to tear up its credibility.
Propagandist
The annual threat assessment speech supposedly confirmed for the first time that the arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne was orchestrated on behalf of Iran by a former resident now living in Iraq. Further, without even hinting towards any proof, ASIO allegedly established that not just the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, but the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC), were behind multiple antisemitic incidents through Australia-linked overseas criminals.[2] Supposedly, an Australian citizen based in Iran and a senior agent within a covert unit of the IRGC Quds Force orchestrated the firebombing of Lewis’s Continental Kitchen in Sydney in October 2024.[3] No corroborating evidence was highlighted, the claims were just stated. Then in August 2025, the Australian federal government expelled the Iranian Ambassador from the country. This was the first time an ambassador had been expelled since World War II was underway, and it was for the unproven allegations that Iran was behind multiple anti-semitic incidents.[4] Iran totally rejected the accusations.
ASIO heads have given speeches to the media for many years, but what has not occurred before is an ASIO official speaking on a popular podcast. Yet Mike Burgess was interviewed by long standing radio personality Neil Mitchell on his podcast Mitchell Unlimited.[5] Many people pointed out that it was extremely odd and even inappropriate for the nation’s most senior intelligence officer to be interviewed as if he was some kind of celebrity. Even if there might be some justification for some public comments relating to the activities of ASIO, appearing on a podcast changes such a role to that of a propagandist.
Bondi Beach false flag
The government needs more propaganda for the war on Iran, as it is failing badly with the Islamic Republic continuing to fight back hard, striking US military bases and US military hardware in the Gulf repeatedly. The Australian regime was one of the first governments to declare support for Trump and Netanyahu’s attacks on Iran on February 28. Yet it is now clear that the Australian government knew that Washington was preparing to launch a war on Iran in 2026 as early as the start of 2025. The expulsion of the Iranian ambassador took place in August 2025, and this was followed six months later with what can now reasonably be claimed was a staged false flag terror attack on Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025.[6] Both the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador without a shred of evidence for the claims made against Iran, and the Bondi Beach contrived “terror attack” had the aim of generating at least passive support for Canberra’s backing of US imperialism at its worst. It was as if it was an effort to prevent anti-war protests once US bombs started falling on Iran.
The suggestion that the event at Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025, was a false flag would still draw gasps of breath in polite company. Yet even a cursory investigation of the whole scenario raises huge questions. The alleged gunmen were able to load, fire, reload and fire for around 20 minutes before any police intervened, despite being minutes away from the Bondi police station.[7] Arsen Ostrovsky, who apparently lived through the October 7 attacks on Israel in 2023, was covered in what appeared to be fake blood and yet immediately gave a media interview with a bandage applied that did not clear away the “blood”. The mainstream media later covered themselves by “fact checking” this howler.[8] Ahmed Al-Ahmed, the supposed hero who disarmed one of the gunmen, was later charged with the physical assault of his father.[9]
What is more, Al-Ahmed originally hails from Idlib in Syria, in what was a stronghold of the Western backed ISIS and Al Qaeda during its proxy regime change war from 2011 to 2024. After the Bondi Beach event, Al-Ahmed even expressed his admiration for Mohamed Al Jolani, the former head chopper and number two of ISIS who was installed as “President” by Washington. The two Bondi Beach gunmen displayed what appeared to be a dodgy ISIS flag in their vehicle as they arrived on the day. Attempts to somehow smear Iran for the “terror attack” fall flat when it is pointed out that Iran fought in Syria with the then Syrian army, Russia and Hezbollah against ISIS and Al Qaeda and the Israeli Defence Force (IDF).
Stop the war
Thankfully, baseless allegations against Iran by the Australian ruling class will not create mass support for an extremely unpopular war. Yet the US led war on Iran is just one theatre of a wider war on the rising multipolar world and it should not be seen in isolation. It is directly connected to the proxy war on Russia via Ukraine, and preparations for a kinetic war on the socialistic People’s Republic of China (PRC). Working people must take action to prevent this global war from getting worse, as we are already being hit with staggering fuel prices as a result of Trump’s unhinged actions. Socialists must take the lead, by linking the military war to the war on the working class at home via huge imposts on the cost of living.
In Australia, the fuel excise, at the least, should be stamped out to lower the cost of petrol and diesel. The sanctions that the Australian regime has imposed on Iran (and Russia) should be lifted immediately. While all efforts should be made towards the electrification of transport and energy (using cooperation with the PRC, the acknowledged and unsurpassed leader in electric vehicles and other forms of zero carbon energy), much lower fuel costs are needed to run commercial operations immediately. If the criminal war on Iran continues, Western economies could face extreme difficulties, if not a near collapse. Diesel prices in the US are already over six dollars a gallon, and in Australia are around three dollars a litre. This is completely unsustainable for working people, as fuel and transport costs are passed on through increased prices for food and other essential goods.
The near total silence on the destabilising war on Iran from the Unions and the majority of what passes for the progressive left must come to an immediate end. Marxist organisations should take the lead, by linking the military war to the war on the working class at home via huge imposts on the cost of living. Even though imperialism is losing both the war on Iran and the proxy war on Russia, the governments of Iran, Russia and China are only defending themselves on the military and diplomatic fronts. What is needed is a political struggle against a rapidly decaying capitalism and for working class power. The multipolar world is advancing, and imperialism is waging desperate rearguard wars in an attempt to prevent its steps forward. Yet vanguard parties based on permanent revolution must still be forged to enable the working masses to take advantage of the objective conditions which favour them. Abolish the Fuel Excise! Lift the Sanctions! No War on Iran!
Workers League
www.redfireonline.com
E: workersleague@protonmail.com
[1] www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/low-moderate-critical-asio-boss-sounds-alarm-on-urgent-upgrade-of-australia-s-terror-warnings-20260918-p60xrs.html (23-09-2026)
[2] www.nine.com.au/australia-news/asio-director-general-mike-burgess-national-threat-assessment-2026-speech-warns-of-increased-terror-threat-20260625-p609vw.html (23-09-2026)
[3] www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jun/24/australian-citizen-working-as-spy-for-iran-orchestrated-bondi-firebombing-asio-boss-says (23-09-2026)
[4] www.sbs.com.au/news/article/breakingdeeply-disturbing-anthony-albanese-says-iran-directed-two-antisemtic-attacks-in-australia/wvp03w6ti (23-09-2026)
[5] www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-mitchell-unlimited-339096112/episode/mitchell-unlimited-s01e10-mike-burgess-345586298/ (23-09-2026)
[6] www.nsw.gov.au/nsw-government/bondi-beach-attack (23-09-2026)
[7] http://www.redfireonline.com/2025/12/20/bondi-massacre-does-the-story-add-up/
[8] www.leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2025/12/fact-check-its-a-fake-image-not-a-crisis-actor-at-bondi-beach-laughing-as-fake-blood-mekeup-is-applied.html (23-09-2026)
[9] www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd7p11010g5o (23-09-2026)
Image: In the aftermath of the false flag “terror attack” on Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025, many were convinced by the mainstream media narrative. Here a floral tribute is constucted by visitors. http://www.indianexpress.com
