‘Case for AUKUS is overwhelming': Trump to review trilateral submarine pact
Former Labor senator Stephen Conroy discusses the undergoing review of AUKUS.
This comes as world leaders arrive at the G7 summit in Canada.
'Australia will want to press the case that this is good for America, not just good for Australia,' Mr Conroy told Sky News Australia.
'The case for AUKUS is overwhelming.
'But I accept President Trump is mercurial.'
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The Age
44 minutes ago
- The Age
ASX edges lower after Trump's Tehran warning; Gold, uranium stocks advance
The Australian sharemarket was treading cautiously on Tuesday after US President Donald Trump called for the evacuation of Tehran, in comments that contrasted with earlier optimism that Israel's war against Iran wouldn't escalate into a wider conflict. Swinging between minor gains and losses, the S&P/ASX 200 was down 10.8 points, or 0.1 per cent, at 8537.20 as of 1.31pm AEST. It had added just 1 point on Monday. The Australian dollar was up 0.1 per cent at US65.31¢ at lunchtime. US futures were down and oil climbed almost 2 per cent following Trump's comments in a social media post from the Group of Seven leaders' summit in Alberta, Canada. It wasn't clear what he was referring to but hours earlier, Trump had said Iran wanted to make a deal, sparking hopes the fighting could remain contained and pushing Wall Street higher in its session overnight. Trump earlier said Iran wanted to talk about de-escalating the conflict with Israel even as the two sides exchanged fire for the fourth consecutive day. Asked if the US would get more involved militarily, the US leader said he didn't want to discuss it. However, he is cutting short his visit to the G7, according to the White House, and returning to Washington. From the world stage back to the local sharemarket, miners, tech and energy stocks gained, holding up the ASX, while the big four banks and utilities were down. Loading Gold miners rose as Trump's warning boosted demand for havens. Bullion rose as much as 0.4 per cent to top $US3400 an ounce, following a 1.4 per cent slide on Monday, which was the biggest daily decline in a month. Northern Star Resources shares rose 2.1 per cent, Evolution Mining gained 1 per cent and Newmont Corporation gained 2.7 per cent. The iron ore heavyweights were mixed, with BHP down 0.5 per cent, while Fortescue and Rio Tinto up 0.1 per cent and 0.2 per cent, respectively. A rally in uranium producers boosted the energy sector after Canadian asset manager Sprott said it would buy some $US200 million ($306 million) worth of the metal for its dedicated physical uranium trust. Paladin Energy climbed 6.2 per cent, Boss Energy gained 6.1 per cent and Deep Energy jumped 8.6 per cent.
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
G7 leaders express support for Israel's right to defend itself, condemning Iran for 'regional instability and terror'
World leaders from the G7 have expressed support for Israel and warned Iran must never obtain nuclear weapons. G7 countries—which include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and US—issued a statement in response to the conflict on Tuesday. The world leaders reaffirmed the Jewish state's right to self-defence and warned Iran should never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. 'We, the leaders of the G7, reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East,' the joint statement said. 'In this context, we affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself. We reiterate our support for the security of Israel. 'Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror. We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.' The leaders also called for the 'de-escalation of hostilities' in the Middle East and the 'protection of civilians'. — G7 (@G7) June 17, 2025 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who attended the summit, struck a notably softer tone than the joint G7 statement on Tuesday. Mr Albanese was attending the G7 Summit as an outreach partner—but Australia is not a G7 country. 'We are deeply concerned and we have urged all parties to prioritise dialogue and diplomacy,' Mr Albanese said on Tuesday. 'The safety of Australians is, of course, our priority at the moment and I reiterate that our advice is do not travel to Israel and Iran. 'We want to see peace and security in the region and we want to see a de-escalation.' At a press conference on Monday, Mr Albanese was asked what his attitude would be if there was a move for a joint statement in support of Israel. "Well, we're not members of the G7, so we won't... That will be something that is up to G7 countries to discuss," he said. The G7 statement comes as Israel and Iran entered a fifth day of conflict, following the Israeli campaign that began with the targeting of Iran's nuclear program. Iranian officials have reported 224 deaths, mostly civilians, in five days, while Israel said 24 civilians had been killed. US President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday (Australian time) that 'everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran'. He also said Iran had rejected a US-brokered nuclear deal and blamed Tehran for prolonging the war. Meanwhile, the Albanese government's emphasis on Middle East diplomacy has drawn criticism from the federal opposition in Canberra. Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes called the government's stance 'absolutely ridiculous' pointing out that Iran and Israel have had no diplomatic relations since 1979. 'It's absolutely ridiculous… for Australia's foreign minister to call for some sort of talk fest,' Senator Hughes said. 'We know that Iran has employed many, many proxies and has called for the annihilation of Israel.' Senator Dave Sharma, chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, said 'the war will continue' due to core national interests on both sides. 'Part of the reason for this war is the failure of dialogue,' Mr Sharma said in response to Ms Wong's calls for diplomacy. 'There have been multiple rounds of negotiations held with Iran… that war will continue whilst those national interests are being prosecuted or defended.'
SBS Australia
an hour ago
- SBS Australia
Donald Trump urges all in Tehran to evacuate immediately
US President Donald Trump has posted a rather ominous message on Truth Social, telling everyone in Tehran to immediately evacuate. 'Iran should have signed the 'deal' I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!' He is also cutting short his trip to the G7 summit to return to the United States where he is convening an emergency meeting of the National Security Council. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike on Iran's state broadcaster and heavy damage to a uranium site have intensified the conflict, with Iran vowing further retaliation, while calling on the US to force a ceasefire in the four-day-old aerial war. Israeli forces have stepped up their bombardment of Iranian cities, while Iran proved capable of piercing Israeli air defences with one of its most successful volleys yet of retaliatory missile strikes. Among Israel's targets in Tehran was the state broadcaster's building. Television anchor Sahar Emami was on air when the blast forced her to flee. The station went off-air for some time, but has since resumed broadcasts. Israel says the strike was justified, accusing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of using the broadcaster's facilities to coordinate operations. But Iran sees it as a war crime. At the UN, Iran's Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani provided an update on the number of casualties. So far, 1480 people have been killed or injured. At least 224 civilians, including women and children, have been killed. Many of the victims are children. In one brutal attack on a residential building in Tehran around 20 children were martyred. ... Israel also targeted wider civilian and economic infrastructure: water storage, fuel depots, the petrochemical facilities, including the Asaluyeh refinery in Bushehr, were hit. Hospitals were also struck. They are not accident, they are war crimes." On the attack on the state broadcaster, Mr Iravani had this to say. "Just hours ago, Israeli regime deliberately targeted the office of Iran's News Agency during a live broadcast. This appalling attack constitutes a blatant war crime and a direct assault on press freedom. These Israeli regime has once again demonstrated that it is the foremost enemy of truth. It holds the disgraceful record of being the world's leading perpetrator of violence against journalists and media professionals." Iran responded with another barrage of long-range missiles. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu provided this update on Israel's actions. "We struck at the beginning of the war with force, targeting some of the top scientists. So far, we have eliminated ten, and we are not stopping there. There are a few more, we will complete. We hit the nuclear facility, Iran's main enrichment center Natanz suffered a very severe blow. We have acted and continue to act against centrifuge production industries. We simply targeted uranium enrichment facilities that are essential for nuclear weapon development. We hit those too, and we are not stopping there. We continue to systematically destroy nuclear targets." Air-raid sirens sounded across Tel Aviv and Haifa, and at least eight Israeli civilians were killed bringing the total death toll to 24 people with over 590 injured. One missile reportedly landed near the American consulate in Tel Aviv, causing minimal damage to it. Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon claimed Iranian missiles were targeting civilians directly. "Iran aims its missiles at children while we target the regime's terror machine. We will do everything we can to minimise civilian casualties... but as you said, it's a war." Despite air defences, Iranian missiles breached Israeli cities in one of the most intense retaliatory strikes yet. Across Haifa, several targets were struck including the port facility and residential buildings. Back in Tehran, images of smoke rising from high-rises and hospitals sparked panic. Crowds fled the city amid fuel shortages and long ATM queues. As the conflict escalates, Iran is now signalling a shift in its nuclear posture. At a press conference in Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said politicians were drafting legislation that could lead to Iran's withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: "We will certainly make the appropriate decision in light of recent developments. We are in close coordination with the parliament and, naturally, any decisions made by the parliament, according to the law, are binding for the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The proposals you mentioned are currently being drafted (referring to withdrawal of NPT), and we will definitely ensure the necessary coordination with the esteemed parliament during the drafting process." Iran joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1970, pledging to forgo nuclear weapons in exchange for access to peaceful nuclear technology under international oversight. Israel accuses Tehran of nearing bomb capability, while President Masoud Pezeshkian says nuclear weapons remain forbidden under a religious edict by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. State media reports no decision has been made, with lawmakers saying the draft bill to exit the treaty is still in early stages. Meanwhile, Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israel's actions and urged a return to negotiations. "Israel, which attacks Iran with the unlimited support from the West, destroys Gaza, and bullies every country in the region, is not aware of what it is doing. Perhaps it will realise its mistake in the future, but we are afraid that by then it will be too late." With diplomacy faltering, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have jointly called for a ceasefire. Speaking at the G7 summit in Canada, Mr Trump urged Israel to de-escalate, while Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed further retaliation, with Tehran reportedly preparing its largest missile strike yet. The US has authorised the voluntary departure of embassy staff in Israel and ordered the USS Nimitz towards the Middle East. As missile strikes persist and the death toll rises, global appeals for peace are being drowned out by the escalating drumbeat of war.
