Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's meeting with Donald Trump in doubt amid conflict between Iran and Israel
A potential meeting over the next few days between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump is up in the air amid the conflict between Iran and Israel.
Mr Albanese flew out of Canberra on Friday for a week-long trip, which took him to Fiji first, before planned visits to Canada for the G7 summit and eventually, the United States.
The Prime Minister is set to have a critical meeting with the President, after the US announced a formal review of the more than $350 billion AUKUS arrangement following the Albanese government's resistance to demands to lift defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP.
Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles was asked by the media on Saturday if the meeting would still be going ahead, but he refused to give a definitive answer after the conflict erupted in the Middle East.
"I'm not about to speculate on that, nor would I go into what are the contacts between our respective governments in relation to all of that," he told reporters.
"In the not too distant future, I am sure that you'll see a meeting between the Prime Minister and the President, but I'm about to not speculate about what happens over the coming few days."
Mr Marles also provided a positive update on all of Australia's officials and military personnel that are currently in Iran and Israel.
'We are able to report that our embassy staff in both Tehran and Tel Aviv are all accounted for and are safe,' he said.
'There are a small number of Australian Defence Force personnel within the region, and they too have all been accounted for and are safe, but we will continue to monitor their ongoing safety.'
If Mr Albanese and President Trump do go through with the meeting, it would mark the first time the two leaders come face-to-face.
But with Trump currently having his hands full with civil unrest in Los Angeles, California and the chaos in the Middle East, it remains to be seen whether a discussion between the pair is on the horizon in the coming week.
Both Mr Albanese and Trump have given contrasting responses to the Iran-Israel conflict.
Trump praised the Israeli strikes as "excellent" and "very successful" on Friday but offered Iran the option to "work out a deal".
The Albanese government meanwhile said the escalating incidents in the Middle East were "concerning".
'We are very aware of what has occurred, and it is concerning, any escalation in the region.'
'We, of course, are very conscious of the threat that Iran becoming a nuclear state would represent to peace and security in the region, as well,' Albanese said.
'We want to see these issues resolved through dialogue, and the United States has been playing an important role there.'
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News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Ukraine warns against drop in aid due to Israel-Iran escalation
Ukraine said on Saturday it hoped the military escalation between Israel and Iran would not lead to a drop in aid to Kyiv, at a time when European support is stalling without US engagement. Israel unleashed large-scale attacks on Iran on Friday, targeting nuclear and military facilities, high-ranking generals and atomic scientists. Iran in return launched barrages of drones and missile at Israel. The escalation sparked international calls for restraint as fears of broader conflict grow. In Kyiv it also sparked anxiety about future supplies of military aid, fearing Washington might relocate more resources to beef up the defence of its close ally Israel. "We would like to see aid to Ukraine not decrease because of this," President Volodymyr Zelensky said. "Last time, this was a factor that slowed down aid to Ukraine." The Ukrainian leader warned that Europe's support was already stalling without Washington's engagement. "Europe has not yet decided for itself what it will do with Ukraine if America is not there," he said. The return to the White House of US President Donald Trump has upended the West's provision of aid to Kyiv. It has left Europe scrambling to work out how it can fill any gap in supplies if Trump decides to pull US military, financial and intelligence support. Zelensky urged the United States to "shift tone" in its dialogue with Russia, saying it was "too warm" and would not help to end the war. Trump has sought rapprochement with Moscow and held three phone calls with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin so far this year. He has stunned NATO allies with the stark change in policy from that of the previous US administration, which aborted almost all contacts with Moscow after Russia invaded Ukraine. The Israeli attacks on Iran also drove oil prices up, which Zelensky said would benefit Russia. "The attacks led to a sharp rise in oil prices. This is bad for us," he added, reiterating a call for the West to introduce price caps on Russian oil exports. The Ukrainian leader said he hoped to raise the issue of price caps at a possible meeting with Trump in the near future. He added, however, that the Israeli strikes might prove favourable for Kyiv if they lead to a drop in Iranian supplies of military equipment to Russia, which has relied heavily on Iranian-made attack drones. - More soldiers return home - Ukraine and Russia exchanged prisoners on Saturday, the fourth such swap this week, under agreements clinched in Istanbul earlier this month. Kyiv also said it had stopped Russian advances in the northeastern Sumy region. The deals to hand over killed soldiers and exchange captured ones are the only agreements to have come out of two rounds of peace talks in Istanbul. Russia has rejected calls to halt its three-year invasion. It has demanded Ukraine cede even more territory and renounce Western military support if it wants peace. Since Russia invaded in February 2022, the war has forced millions of people to flee their homes as towns and cities across eastern Ukraine have been flattened by heavy bombardments. As part of the Istanbul agreements, Kyiv also said it had received another 1,200 unidentified bodies from Russia. It said Moscow had said they were those of "Ukrainian citizens, including military personnel" Ukraine did not say whether it returned any bodies to Russia. Meanwhile, Russia intensified its offensive along the front line, especially in the northeastern Sumy region, where it seeks to establish a "buffer zone". This zone is designed, ostensibly, to protect the Russian border region of Kursk, previously partly occupied by Ukraine. Zelensky said Russia's advance on Sumy was stopped and that Kyiv's forces had managed to retake one village. He said 53,000 men Russian soldiers were involved in the Sumy operation.
The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
How Israel's assault unfolded – and how Iran responded
It was fast, targeted and deadly. In a split second, a quiet pre-dawn Tehran was rocked by explosions. Israel attacked several locations across Iran, including the capital, targeting nuclear sites, including its main enrichment facility, ballistic missile and other military capabilities, and commanders and nuclear scientists. Here's how it unfolded, moment by moment (note: all times in AEST). June 12 Trump withdraws US officials from the Middle East The White House orders the departure of all non-essential personnel from its embassy in Baghdad. It also gives non-essential officials in its Bahrain and Kuwait embassies the authorisation to leave if they so wish. This comes as US intelligence indicates Israel has been preparing to strike Iran while the Trump administration struggles to make progress on a nuclear deal with Iran. 'They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place, and we'll see what happens,' US President Donald Trump says. June 13 Trump warns an Israeli strike 'could very well happen' if Iran doesn't reach a deal over its nuclear weapons capabilities. 'I don't want to say imminent, but it looks like it's something that could very well happen,' Trump tells reporters at the White House. Israel attacks Iran at 3.30am local time, with explosions booming across Tehran. People in the city wake to blasts, which damage residential buildings. Smoke is seen rising from Tehran's western neighbourhood of Chitgar. 'Dozens' of nuclear and military targets hit An Israeli military official confirms 'dozens' of sites across Iran were targeted, including the country's Natanz nuclear complex, with footage on Iranian state TV showing black smoke rising from the facility. The deaths Iranian state TV reports that the chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Salami, was killed in the strikes, along with the commander-in-chief of Iran's army, General Mohammad Bagheri, and another top-ranking commander, General Gholamali Rashid. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, survived, but Ali Shamkhani, a top political, military and nuclear adviser to Khamenei was reportedly 'critically injured' in the strikes. Six nuclear scientists, including Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, were also reportedly killed. Iranian TV reports children were among the dead in the affected residential areas. The Israel Defence Forces shares news of the successful 'first stage' of its offensive on X. 'Dozens of IAF [Israeli Air Force] jets completed the first stage that included strikes on dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran,' it posts. 'Today, Iran is closer than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon.' 11am: US not involved, avoids both endorsing and condemning strikes The United States declines to endorse Israel's strikes against Iran, noting in an official statement that it was aware of, but not involved in, the operation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivers the first official US response to the attack, saying Israel 'advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defence'. Later, Trump calls an emergency security meeting set for 11am Friday (1am AEST) and tells Fox News 'Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb'. 11.19am: Netanyahu speaks Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the strikes were aimed at hurting Iran's nuclear infrastructure, ballistic missile factories and other military capabilities. 'This operation will take as long as is needed to complete the task of fending off the threat of annihilation against us,' he says in a recorded video message. 'As prime minister, I have made it clear time and again Israel will never allow those who call for our annihilation to develop the means to achieve their goal.' He says Israel has successfully 'struck at the heart' of Iran's nuclear weaponisation program by targeting 'their main enrichment facility'. 1.23pm 'Sworn enemies' to expect retaliation, says Tehran Israel will receive a 'harsh punishment' in response to the strikes, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, tells Iranian state TV. He says Israel has 'unleashed its wicked and bloody' hand in a crime against Iran that reveals its 'vile nature'. Iran's Revolutionary Guards later release a statement, seen by Reuters, which says Israel 'will pay a heavy price' for killing their chief, Salami. The statement claims Israel's strikes were done with the knowledge and support of the 'wicked rulers in the White House' and the 'terrorist US regime'. 'Iran's sworn enemies should expect a decisive retaliation,' it says. 3.01pm: Iran launches 100-drone assault on Israel Israel's chief army spokesman, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, says: 'In the last few hours, Iran has launched more than 100 drones toward Israel, and all the defence systems are acting to intercept the threats.' A short time later, neighbouring Jordan says its air force and defence systems intercepted several missiles and drones that had entered its airspace for fear they would fall in its territory. Defrin says the strikes are continuing. How has Australia reacted? Speaking from Fiji, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the government wants the conflict solved 'through dialogue'. 'We, of course, are very conscious of the threat [that] Iran becoming a nuclear state would represent to peace and security in the region as well,' he says. Speaking to reporters minutes after the strikes were first reported, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she was 'alarmed' by the attack. 'We call on all parties to refrain from actions and rhetoric that will further exacerbate tensions,' Wong said. What becomes of the US and Iran's nuclear negotiations? A key mediator in Iran's nuclear talks with the US says Israel's attack 'threatens to eliminate diplomatic solutions and undermine security and stability of the region'. Oman was due to host US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and other key officials for a sixth round of nuclear deal talks with Iran on Sunday. After the strikes, Trump says he's hoping to get 'back to the negotiating table', according to Fox News. When asked in the hours before the attack how any strikes would affect the nuclear talks, Trump said: 'I think it would blow it', before reconsidering and saying, it 'might help it actually, but it also could blow it'. June 14 4.14am Iran's retaliation begins The Associated Press reports air raid sirens have sounded in Jerusalem as Israel says Iran has fired missiles. A few minutes later, an Israeli military official claims dozens of missiles have been detected. Explosions can be heard in Jerusalem and Israeli TV stations show plumes of smoke rising in Tel Aviv after an apparent strike. 4.25am Iran's Supreme Leader vows revenge Ayatollah Ali Khamenei releases a defiant message to Iran in which he promises Israel will suffer a 'bitter fate' for its actions. 4.28am Major ballistic assault on Israel Iran's state-run news site says the country has launched hundreds of ballistic missiles towards Israel. But the Israeli military says the missiles numbered fewer than 100 and most were intercepted or fell short. No casualties are immediately reported. 8.20am Sirens and a round of explosions, possibly from Israeli interceptors, can be heard booming in the sky over Jerusalem and the Israeli military says another attack is taking place. A witness tells Reuters that air-raid sirens had sounded again in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The Israeli military urges civilians, already rattled by an earlier wave of missiles, to take shelter. The Iranian outlet Nour News, which has close links with the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, says a wave of attacks is being launched. With Reuters, AP
The Australian
3 hours ago
- The Australian
Israel-Iran: How Donald Trump decided to back Israel's attacks on Iran
The first act of 'Les Misérables' had just ended at the Kennedy Center Wednesday night when Sen. Lindsey Graham (Republican, South Carolina) pulled President Trump aside for a quick conversation about Iran. Graham applauded the Trump administration's handling of the nuclear issue without people getting killed. 'Yeah, we're trying,' Trump said about the sputtering negotiations with Tehran. 'But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do,' he said. Graham took that remark to mean Trump was referring to the possibility of an Israeli strike on its longtime enemy. The encounter came midway through a week that would see Trump go from trying to head off an Israeli attack to backing its sudden campaign of air strikes targeting Iran's nuclear facilities and senior military and civilian leaders, an abrupt shift that underscored the fraying prospects for a deal. Trump said Friday that he had been aware of Israel's attack plans and argued that the punishing operation makes a nuclear deal even more likely, though Iran said they were pulling out of a sixth round of talks scheduled for Sunday. 'They should have made a deal and they still can make a deal while they have something left — they still can,' Trump told The Wall Street Journal. Trump had seemed far less optimistic earlier in the week. On Sunday, he summoned his national-security team to Camp David and told them during a discussion on the Middle East that he was increasingly pessimistic Tehran would agree to a deal, according to US officials. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were due to speak the next day, and the president said he would tell the Israeli leader to delay any attacks until special envoy Steve Witkoff's diplomatic effort had run its course, US officials recounted. In a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in March, Trump had set a two-month time limit once talks got under way to reach a deal, a deadline that was due to expire this week. But Khamenei rejected a US proposal to allow Iran to temporarily continue uranium enrichment in the country if it agreed to eventually halt its domestic centrifuge operation. Always in the background was Netanyahu's push to launch strikes against Iran's nuclear sites, a threat that loomed ever larger. In a call Monday with Netanyahu, Trump said he wanted to see diplomacy with Tehran play out a little longer, according to US officials. But even Trump was losing faith in his strategy. Netanyahu raised his oft-expressed objection that Iran wouldn't make the deal Trump wanted and that Israel needed to keep preparing strikes, the officials added. Trump seemed to internalise the message. 'I'm getting more and more — less confident about it,' he said of the prospects for a nuclear deal with Iran in a New York Post interview published Wednesday. 'They seem to be delaying, and I think that is a shame, but I'm less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago.' Netanyahu had been seeking to head off a US-led negotiation with Iran over its nuclear program for years, arguing that only the destruction of its vast enrichment centrifuges and other facilities could guarantee Tehran wasn't secretly developing a bomb. The Israeli leader rejoiced when Trump in his first term tore up the 2015 nuclear deal brokered by then President Barack Obama, and he recoiled when Trump pushed for a tougher agreement during his second term in office. US intelligence agencies concluded in January that Israel was considering strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The intelligence analysis concluded Israel would push Trump's new team to back the assault, viewing the incoming president as more likely to join an attack than former President Joe Biden. The Israelis, according to the assessment, believed the window for halting Tehran's pursuit of a nuclear weapon was closing. In a sign of mounting concern about an Israeli attack and Iranian response, the State Department on Wednesday ordered the departure of all non-essential personnel from the US Embassy in Baghdad and authorised the departure of non-essential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait. At the same time, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth authorised the voluntary departure of military dependants from across the Middle East. Army Gen. Erik Kurilla, the top US commander in the Middle East, cancelled a congressional testimony scheduled for the next day and returned to Central Command's headquarters in Tampa. As anxiety grew in the Middle East and Washington, Trump was enjoying the performance of his favourite musical at the Kennedy Center, joined by Graham and other supporters. When Trump and Netanyahu spoke again on Thursday, the Israeli leader told Trump that it was the last day of his 60-day timeline for Iran to make a deal. Israel could wait no longer, Netanyahu said, according to officials familiar with the call. Israel had to defend itself and enforce the deadline Trump himself had set. Trump responded that the US wouldn't stand in the way, according to administration officials, but emphasised that the US military wouldn't assist with any offensive operations. At the White House, Trump told reporters he wouldn't describe an attack as imminent, 'but it is something that could very well happen.' While the US and Iran were close to a deal, he claimed, Israeli strikes could 'blow it.' Israel launched its operation as Trump was at a picnic Thursday evening on the White House grounds for members of Congress. He later joined Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Hegseth, and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and other senior officials in the Situation Room to monitor events. Israel had acted unilaterally and the US played no role in the attack, Rubio said in a statement that acknowledged Israel notified Washington before the operation began. That was the only comment from the US as the attack unfolded. Bombs struck and damaged a key Iranian nuclear facility at Natanz, and senior military leaders including Major Gen. Hossein Salami, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, were killed. In all, Iran claimed that Israel's first attack killed 78 people and injured around 320 more in multiple waves of Israeli strikes. Netanyahu pledged that the operation would last for as long as necessary. Trump, who began the week resistant to an assault on Iran, quickly embraced it as a successful campaign that could boost his diplomatic effort. 'Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left,' he posted on social media Friday, 'and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire.' Wall Street Journal Read related topics: Donald TrumpIsrael The Wall Street Journal The conflict in the Middle East is exacerbating a schism between conservatives over foreign policy. The Wall Street Journal Tehran's bruising fight with Israel has left its military weakened and unable to respond in kind to Israeli attacks.
