A Sydney man charged with illegally sending $649K to sanctioned Iranian banks, amid heightened Australia-Iran tensions after diplomatic expulsion.

A 34-year-old Sydney man has been charged with transferring $649,308 across 543 international transfers to Iranian banks sanctioned by Australia, violating financial sanctions laws despite running a legitimate remittance business. The Australian Federal Police executed a search warrant in July following reports from the Australian Sanctions Office and AUSTRAC, leading to the suspension of his business for one year. He faces up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to $2 million. The case follows Australia’s expulsion of Iran’s ambassador in August after intelligence linked Iran to anti-Semitic arson attacks on a Melbourne synagogue and a Sydney deli—marking the first such diplomatic expulsion since World War II.