Iran's ambassador to Australia should be expelled from the country over his comments praising Hezbollah's slain leader, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says.
Mr Dutton this morning called for Iranian ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi's expulsion following his comments on social media labelling assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah a martyr and "unparalleled leader".
He made the remarks late last month, the day Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli air strike.
Mr Dutton said Mr Sadeghi should not remain in Australia.
"I think the comments from the Iranian ambassador are completely and utterly at odds with what is in our country's best interests and the prime minister and the foreign minister should show the strength of character and expel him from our country," Mr Dutton said.
The ABC understands the Iranian ambassador has been called into the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade over the social media post.
It is understood Mr Sadeghi was spoken to by government officials today, and reminded of his obligation to respect Australian law and to stay out of domestic affairs.
The ABC has contacted Foreign Minister Penny Wong for comment.
Speaking to reporters, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the ambassador's remarks but declined to say he should be expelled.
"The government condemns any support for terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah. We condemn the ambassador's comments," Mr Albanese said.
"We have maintained a relationship with Iran since 1968 which is continuous. Not because we agree with the regime but because it is in Australia's national interest.
"It has never been an endorsement of the regime, but a channel to protect Australia's interests and to communicate our views and the views of our allies, like-minded countries."
But Shadow Foreign Minister Simon Birmingham said Australia should also take steps to ensure Iran's leadership was limited in their ability to "promote hatred" within Australia.
"We have seen multiple instances now, including just in the last week, of Iran's ambassador to Australia engaging in hate speech, undertaking statements that, were they to be said by an individual speaking at a rally in Australia, or a preacher in a place of worship, may well actually instigate legal proceedings against them," Senator Birmingham said.
"Whilst [diplomatic immunity] may prevent him from being charged, it does warrant the case and necessitate why we believe he should be withdrawn from that diplomatic right within Australia."
Former Iranian political prisoner says Sadeghi should be expelled
Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who was imprisoned by Iran for two years on claims of espionage without public evidence, said Mr Sadeghi has lost his right to remain in Australia.
"I don't support the severing of diplomatic ties between Australia and Iran, but I do think that this current ambassador, Ahmad Sadeghi … who has been making a series of inflammatory statements and hate speech on social media, he has no place in Australia, I think he's lost that right," Dr Moore-Gilbert told the ABC.
Dr Moore-Gilbert said she agreed that it was important for the government to maintain a diplomatic channel to Iran, but she said that did not have to be mutually exclusive from Mr Sadeghi's expulsion.
"It is important to retain relations with Iran, because we currently have Australian citizens imprisoned in Iran that we negotiate over, we also have the issue of needing Iranian agreement to deport any nefarious actors which might be operating in Australian society at the behest of that regime for example," Dr Moore-Gilbert said.
"I'm sure whoever [would] replace Sadeghi is not necessarily going to be a more savoury character, but expelling him sends a very strong signal to the Iranian regime that we will not tolerate hate speech in Australia on Australian territory, including from diplomats.
"We probably would see some retaliatory action, but that is not a reason not to do it."
She noted Mr Sadeghi has already been warned once, when he was called in by the Department of Foreing Affairs in August over a separate social media post agitating for the violent removal of Israelis from "the holy lands of Palestine".
Shortly after that dressing down, Iran called in Australia's ambassador to complain about a social media post supporting Wear It Purple Day.
Professor Donald Rothwell, an international law professor at the Australian National University, noted to the ABC's Afternoon Briefing that Australia had never expelled a diplomat at the ambassador level — or any diplomat over social media posts — and said doing so would result in a breakdown in diplomatic relations between Australia and Iran.
Mr Dutton's expulsion call comes as the United States and Israel consider a military response to Iran launching hundreds of missiles into Israel.
He said the government must act far more strongly as conflict escalates in the Middle East, also calling for the government to move against planned pro-Palestinian protests on Sunday ahead of the one-year anniversary of Hamas' terror attack on Israel.
"The PM has to start showing some strength of leadership and some character here and standing up for our values and what is right, and it would start with a condemnation of the October 7 celebration, of the 1,200 deaths which is being proposed," he said.
"Israel wasn't firing rockets in defence on the 6th of October."
