[7] Born in Sari, Mazandaran Province, Iran[3] to an ethnic Azerbaijani father and Mazanderani mother, Dastyari arrived in Australia at age four in January 1988.

[4] He went on to become President of Australian Young Labor[3] and later studied part-time at Macquarie University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in politics.

He previously applied to renounce Iranian citizenship in order to take the "reasonable steps" required to comply with section 44 of the Constitution of Australia.

After Labor's defeat at the 2016 election, Dastyari was promoted to the shadow outer ministry becoming Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate, and spokesman for consumer affairs.

[16][17] Dastyari spoke at Chinese-language press conferences and was at odds with the Australian government's policy on the South China Sea.

As a result of this controversy, on 7 September 2016 Dastyari resigned from his shadow frontbench position as Manager of Opposition Business and spokesman for consumer affairs, and returned to the backbench.

[20] In December 2017, reports emerged that in 2015 he attempted to persuade Labor's foreign affairs spokesperson, Tanya Plibersek, to cancel a meeting with a member of Hong Kong's pro-democracy camp.

[7] Ross Babbage, former head of strategic analysis at the Office of National Assessments, described Dastyari as an "agent of influence" and part of China's aim to build local support for its policy positions around the world.

[32] The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry was established in December 2017 after years of public pressure.

[36] In 2016, Dastyari claimed that ten companies wield the most incredible amount of power in Australia to an extent that stifles proper democratic and economic progress.

[37][38] In March 2018, Dastyari passed a two-show trial to join a KIIS 106.5 Sydney breakfast radio show once a fortnight on a segment known as Gutter Politics.