According to Khabaronline, an Iranian news agency, Mal Lanyon, Commissioner of Police for the state of New South Wales, told reporters on Monday that investigators recovered a black ISIS flag from the attackers’ car following the terrorist assault that took place on Sunday. Speaking at a press conference, Lanyon said reports that the flag had been draped over the vehicle “form part of the ongoing investigation,” stressing that inquiries into the attackers’ motives are still underway.
The attack occurred during celebrations marking the Jewish festival of Hanukkah in a coastal area of New South Wales. According to Australian authorities, at least 16 people were killed and many others injured when two armed men opened fire on participants. One of the attackers was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police, while the second suspect, a younger man who was wounded, is expected to survive.
Police identified the attackers as 24-year-old Navid Akram and a 50-year-old man who was his father. Commissioner Lanyon stated that investigators are not currently searching for any additional suspects.
As the investigation continues in Australia, the incident has also triggered a parallel media and political controversy abroad. Shortly after the attack, several Israeli media outlets, including the newspaper Israel Hayom, cited unnamed security officials claiming that Iran was behind the operation. These claims were rapidly amplified by anti-Iranian media and social media networks, including accounts affiliated with monarchist opposition groups, despite the absence of publicly presented evidence.
The near-simultaneous spread of this narrative across Israeli and Persian-language opposition media has drawn attention from analysts, who note that the framing appeared to be activated immediately after the attack, suggesting a pre-existing media template rather than conclusions based on verified findings from the scene.
Iran has categorically rejected the allegations. A spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally condemned the Sydney attack, a position that directly contradicts claims of Iranian involvement and complicates efforts to link Tehran to the incident.
Despite this, some outlets have continued to emphasize themes such as “antisemitism” and have sought to associate them with Iran, a move that media experts describe as part of a broader battle over narratives rather than a reflection of established facts related to the attack itself.
Political analysts argue that the timing of these accusations is significant. They point out that Israel is currently facing intense international scrutiny and public pressure over the ongoing civilian death toll in Gaza. From this perspective, attributing violent incidents elsewhere in the world to Iran may serve to shift media attention, shape public perception, and justify the continuation of hardline policies in the region.
Australian authorities, for their part, have emphasized that the investigation remains focused on evidence gathered at the scene, including the discovery of the ISIS flag, and have not endorsed claims made by foreign media regarding state-level involvement.
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