Mike Burgess says 'friends' involved in foreign interference in Australia

Australia’s spy boss, Mike Burgess, has confirmed that Iran is one of “at least three or four” countries involved in foreign interference in Australia’s diaspora communities.

According to Report, speaking on ABC’s Insiders on Sunday, the director general of security in charge of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation said he could think of “at least three or four [countries] that are we’ve actually actively found involved in foreign interference in Australia and diaspora communities”.

“Some of them would surprise you, and some of them are also our friends,” he said.

Foreign interference and espionage were key security concerns for the national intelligence and security agency, he said, with a range of countries, including Iran, caught attempting to threaten and intimidate diaspora communities.