Senate Adjournment
3 February 2026
I rise tonight to express my solidarity with the people of Iran and endorse the decisive action taken by the Albanese government earlier today, announced by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Since 28 December last year, the Iranian regime has responded to peaceful protests with extraordinary and horrifying violence against its own people. Tens of thousands of Iranians have been brutally murdered—reportedly, over 80,000. Many thousands more have been arrested, beaten or simply disappeared. Millions of brave Iranians are being terrorised by an evil regime for simply advocating for the basic human rights that we all take for granted here in Australia: the right to democratically elect their own government; equal rights, dignity and respect for women; individual rights and freedoms protected by the rule of law; and the right to a government which serves its people. The regime has attempted to conceal the scale of its brutality through nationwide internet and telecommunication blackouts—a tactic that is designed to weaponise fear and silence witnesses.
Today, the federal government has taken further action in response. Australia is imposing targeted financial sanctions on 20 individuals and three entities, including senior officials and entities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. These are people and organisations that are complicit in violating and repressing protests and threatening lives both inside Iran and beyond its borders. This action builds on Australia’s listing of the IRGC as a state sponsor of terrorism and our comprehensive sanctions framework against Iran. It also brings the total number of Iranian individuals and entities sanctioned by this government to more than 200, including over 100 linked directly to the IRGC. These sanctions are not symbolic; they are targeted, deliberate and designed to impose real consequences on those responsible for repression and violence, showing that Australia stands firmly with the people of Iran. The protests that we have seen in Iran are not merely about economic concerns, nor are they fleeting expressions of discontent. They reflect deep and longstanding grievances about repression, corruption and the denial of basic human rights. The Iranian people have shown extraordinary courage in the face of live ammunition, mass arrests and systemic intimidation.
I also want to speak directly to the impact that this is having here in Australia. Across our country, and particularly in Melbourne, members of the Australian Iranian community have watched these events unfold with profound anguish. Many have families, friends and loved ones at risk. Many have taken to our streets peacefully and lawfully to express their solidarity with those protesting in Iran and to call for accountability. Their voices matter, their concerns are legitimate and their advocacy has played an important role in ensuring that the international community does not look away. Australia is strengthened by a diaspora that remains deeply connected to its heritage while contributing to our democratic life. The Persian community have enriched our society as educators, professionals, artists, business owners and community leaders. Their lived experience gives urgency and clarity to our response. The government stands with the Iranian diaspora in Australia. We recognise the fear, the grief and the anger many are feeling, and we acknowledge the courage it takes to speak out, even from afar, against a regime that has shown itself willing to punish dissent.
Australia’s message is clear: the use of violence against civilians, the silencing of dissent and the systemic denial of human rights will not be met with indifference. We are acting alongside international partners to hold the Iranian regime to account and to work to end its oppression and destabilisation. We will continue to use every diplomatic and economic tool at our disposal to support accountability and to defend the rules based international order. I want to acknowledge the bravery of the Iranian people—the women, the men, the students, the workers and the families—who continue to speak out. Australia stands with you. Today’s sanctions reaffirm our commitment. The Albanese government will continue to act calmly, firmly and consistently in defence of human rights, international law and human dignity. But history is clear: regimes that shoot their own people eventually fall. The only question is: how many will they take with them along the way?
