WATCH LIVE: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong address media following US strikes on Iran
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong are addressing the media after calling a meeting of the National Security Cabinet, following US strikes on Iran.
The press conference is scheduled for 11.30am AEST.
The Albanese government finally expressed support for the US strikes on Monday, after initially calling for "de-escalation" and "dialogue".
Ms Wong insisted the government was 'very clear' in its support for the military action after an initial statement did not use the word 'support'.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Ms Wong said the government 'supports action' to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
'Australia has been clear, along with the international community, that Iran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon,' she told reporters at Parliament House.
'We support action to prevent that from occurring and this is what this was.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
38 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
'Gobsmacked by the level of amateurishness': Liberal Senator Dave Sharma calls out Albanese government's initial response to US strikes against Iran
Liberal Senator and Australia's former ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma, has called out the Albanese government's reaction to United States strikes on Iran, saying he was 'gobsmacked' by the response. Following the strikes authorised by the Trump administration on Sunday, the government's initial response came via a statement, issued by a spokesperson, which did not overtly express support for the move. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese then confirmed a day after the US action he did support efforts which prevented Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Senator Sharma expressed dismay over the initial statement provided, saying he thought it was 'very likely' the Albanese government was pressured by the US to publicly back a move conducted by an ally of Australia. 'I was gobsmacked by the level of amateurishness shown by the government yesterday to not have anyone significant front the media, to put out a bland, anodyne statement which said nothing, attributable to only a government spokesperson,' he told Sky News host Chris Kenny on Monday. He said the Australian public are 'rightly looking' to the government for the country's official stance on the conflict and what the US move means for Australians in the region. 'The government was absent from the field. I mean it's amateurish,' Senator Sharma said. The Senator said he imagined Washington may have began asking questions of Canberra following the Albanese government's initial response. Mr Albanese on Monday maintained the statement issued earlier was appropriate. 'The world has long agreed that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon, and we support action to prevent that — that is what this is,' he said at Parliament House in Canberra. 'The US action was directed at specific sites central to Iran's nuclear program. We don't want escalation and a full-scale war. Meanwhile, Israel Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said Australia's official backing of the US's action against Iran's nuclear program is 'better late than never, obviously'. Speaking from Tel Aviv shortly before a warning siren began blaring, Ms Haskel told Sky News on Monday evening Australia remains a 'close ally' of Israel. 'There's a very close friendship and I think that these are historical times, and it's important to act. Not just words, but actions are more important,' Ms Haskel said. Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister continued talking to Sky News host Chris Kenny while her and many others made their way to a bomb shelter located inside a synagogue after sirens indicating incoming Iranian strikes were activated. 'As you can see, live, this is our bombing shelter. We have many people here who have been hiding in order to keep safe from the missile attack. This is Iran targeting civilian populations directly,' Ms Haskel said.
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Editorial: Wishy-washy Anthony Albanese puts Australia on the outer
Close to 24 hours after the United States bombed key Iranian nuclear facilities, Anthony Albanese finally stood to address the nation. This was a pivotal point in history: Australia's closest military and strategic ally had made a bold strike against one of the world's most tyrannical and dangerous regimes. Australians want to know what it all means, and what was likely to come next. They got a Prime Minister who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. It was clear from Mr Albanese's curt manner at his Monday morning press conference that he didn't want any part of US President Donald Trump's surprise attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. He said what he had to: that Iran could not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons and that Australia was in support of actions to prevent that nightmare scenario. But Mr Albanese also stressed that Australia was not involved in this conflict. Five times, the Prime Minister said that this had been a 'unilateral action' by the US. And when asked directly, repeatedly, whether Australia was given any heads-up an action would occur prior to the bombs falling, Mr Albanese skirted the question. What he did say was that he had not spoken to Mr Trump since before last week's G7 summit, which the President left a day early, causing the planned sit-down between the two leaders to be abandoned. Australia-US relations have never been at a lower ebb. Mr Trump is a challenging character. And Mr Albanese isn't alone in his distaste for him. Successive polls have found Australians are among the world's biggest critics of him, finding him dangerous and untrustworthy. But this isn't about Donald Trump the man. This is about the fact that the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran is an intolerable one. Iran's regime is the antithesis to liberal democracy, obsessed with the destruction of Israel and of Western values. The decision by the US to join Israel in doing what needed to be done — despite Mr Trump's clear personal preference not to get involved in matters beyond his borders — was the right one. Contrast Mr Albanese's non-existent relationship with Mr Trump's administration with that of British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who did get a heads-up about the US' intentions in Iran. Mr Albanese and Mr Starmer are ideological kin, sharing a leftist world view. Yet where Mr Albanese wears his repugnance towards Mr Trump on his sleeve, Mr Starmer makes it work. The result is a UK which is firmly within the Western alliance, and an Australia increasingly on its outer. Mr Albanese must make it his priority to repair Australia's deteriorating relationship with the US. That means we need an effective ambassador in Washington. While this is not intended as a Kevin Rudd-bashing exercise, it is apparent he is not that person. Shifting him out and finding the right person to serve Australia's interests in the Trump era is one step along the road to restoring our alliance. Responsibility for the editorial comment is taken by Editor-in-Chief Christopher Dore.
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
PM breaks silence to back US military strikes on Iran
Anthony Albanese has backed America's "unilateral action" to strike Iranian nuclear facilities after a day of silence on the superpower's decision to enter the Middle East conflict. But in his first public comments since the US launched strikes on the facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, the prime minister also said a wider war must be avoided. "The world has long agreed that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon and we support action to prevent that," he said on Monday. "We don't want escalation and a full-scale war. We continue to call for dialogue and for diplomacy. "Iran didn't come to the table, just as it has repeatedly failed to comply with its international obligations." Some US allies in Europe have been more muted than Australia in their reaction to the strikes, while UN chief Antonio Guterres labelled them a dangerous escalation. Mr Albanese earlier convened a National Security Committee meeting. Asked if Australia was briefed on the US strikes beforehand, or if the nation had any involvement, the prime minister replied: "This was unilateral action taken by the United States." Mr Albanese would not say if the Pine Gap joint Australian-US intelligence surveillance base, located outside Alice Springs, was used in the operation. He also defended his decision to hold off commenting on the US strikes for at least 24 hours, saying Australia wasn't a "central player in this conflict". A government statement on Sunday noted Iran's nuclear and missile programs had been a threat to international security, while also calling for "de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy". Australian National University expert associate Jennifer Parker said it wasn't surprising Canberra might not have been briefed on the attack as it no longer had major forces in the Middle East. "The Australian government was always going to have to come out in full support of the US, otherwise it would fundamentally undermine our relationship," she said. "You cannot defend the actions that Iran has been taking as a destabilising force in the region for a long time." Australia's support for the US acknowledged what happened in the Middle East also sent "key signals" to the Indo-Pacific, Ms Parker said. "The US telling Iran that they need to negotiate ... and then action being taken does reinforce, to a certain degree, deterrence in the Indo-Pacific," she said. She was unclear where the actions sat when it came to international law. Pressed on the issue of legality, Mr Albanese dodged questions. Acting opposition foreign spokesman Andrew Hastie said the coalition had wanted to see Iran come to the negotiating table and submit to a full inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the number of Australians who had registered for help to leave the region had jumped to about 2900 in Iran and 1300 in Israel. Department of Foreign Affairs staff were evacuated from the embassy in Tehran days earlier and were now helping Australian citizens and residents who made it through Iran's border with Azerbaijan. "That was a difficult decision to make," Senator Wong said. "The advice to me, which I discussed with the prime minister and the deputy prime minister, was to ensure we got our people out." Iran's parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, the transit route for about a quarter of the world's oil, prompting fears prices could push to $US100 a barrel or more. Despite fears about rising oil prices, NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said Australian motorists should not be concerned. "To get back to those record high prices that we saw back in 2022, you would need a catastrophe at that level to affect global supply. We're not there yet," he said. Australia previously provided resources to safeguard shipping lanes, but military involvement has been ruled out following the recent conflict. Anthony Albanese has backed America's "unilateral action" to strike Iranian nuclear facilities after a day of silence on the superpower's decision to enter the Middle East conflict. But in his first public comments since the US launched strikes on the facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, the prime minister also said a wider war must be avoided. "The world has long agreed that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon and we support action to prevent that," he said on Monday. "We don't want escalation and a full-scale war. We continue to call for dialogue and for diplomacy. "Iran didn't come to the table, just as it has repeatedly failed to comply with its international obligations." Some US allies in Europe have been more muted than Australia in their reaction to the strikes, while UN chief Antonio Guterres labelled them a dangerous escalation. Mr Albanese earlier convened a National Security Committee meeting. Asked if Australia was briefed on the US strikes beforehand, or if the nation had any involvement, the prime minister replied: "This was unilateral action taken by the United States." Mr Albanese would not say if the Pine Gap joint Australian-US intelligence surveillance base, located outside Alice Springs, was used in the operation. He also defended his decision to hold off commenting on the US strikes for at least 24 hours, saying Australia wasn't a "central player in this conflict". A government statement on Sunday noted Iran's nuclear and missile programs had been a threat to international security, while also calling for "de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy". Australian National University expert associate Jennifer Parker said it wasn't surprising Canberra might not have been briefed on the attack as it no longer had major forces in the Middle East. "The Australian government was always going to have to come out in full support of the US, otherwise it would fundamentally undermine our relationship," she said. "You cannot defend the actions that Iran has been taking as a destabilising force in the region for a long time." Australia's support for the US acknowledged what happened in the Middle East also sent "key signals" to the Indo-Pacific, Ms Parker said. "The US telling Iran that they need to negotiate ... and then action being taken does reinforce, to a certain degree, deterrence in the Indo-Pacific," she said. She was unclear where the actions sat when it came to international law. Pressed on the issue of legality, Mr Albanese dodged questions. Acting opposition foreign spokesman Andrew Hastie said the coalition had wanted to see Iran come to the negotiating table and submit to a full inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the number of Australians who had registered for help to leave the region had jumped to about 2900 in Iran and 1300 in Israel. Department of Foreign Affairs staff were evacuated from the embassy in Tehran days earlier and were now helping Australian citizens and residents who made it through Iran's border with Azerbaijan. "That was a difficult decision to make," Senator Wong said. "The advice to me, which I discussed with the prime minister and the deputy prime minister, was to ensure we got our people out." Iran's parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, the transit route for about a quarter of the world's oil, prompting fears prices could push to $US100 a barrel or more. Despite fears about rising oil prices, NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said Australian motorists should not be concerned. "To get back to those record high prices that we saw back in 2022, you would need a catastrophe at that level to affect global supply. We're not there yet," he said. Australia previously provided resources to safeguard shipping lanes, but military involvement has been ruled out following the recent conflict. Anthony Albanese has backed America's "unilateral action" to strike Iranian nuclear facilities after a day of silence on the superpower's decision to enter the Middle East conflict. But in his first public comments since the US launched strikes on the facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, the prime minister also said a wider war must be avoided. "The world has long agreed that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon and we support action to prevent that," he said on Monday. "We don't want escalation and a full-scale war. We continue to call for dialogue and for diplomacy. "Iran didn't come to the table, just as it has repeatedly failed to comply with its international obligations." Some US allies in Europe have been more muted than Australia in their reaction to the strikes, while UN chief Antonio Guterres labelled them a dangerous escalation. Mr Albanese earlier convened a National Security Committee meeting. Asked if Australia was briefed on the US strikes beforehand, or if the nation had any involvement, the prime minister replied: "This was unilateral action taken by the United States." Mr Albanese would not say if the Pine Gap joint Australian-US intelligence surveillance base, located outside Alice Springs, was used in the operation. He also defended his decision to hold off commenting on the US strikes for at least 24 hours, saying Australia wasn't a "central player in this conflict". A government statement on Sunday noted Iran's nuclear and missile programs had been a threat to international security, while also calling for "de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy". Australian National University expert associate Jennifer Parker said it wasn't surprising Canberra might not have been briefed on the attack as it no longer had major forces in the Middle East. "The Australian government was always going to have to come out in full support of the US, otherwise it would fundamentally undermine our relationship," she said. "You cannot defend the actions that Iran has been taking as a destabilising force in the region for a long time." Australia's support for the US acknowledged what happened in the Middle East also sent "key signals" to the Indo-Pacific, Ms Parker said. "The US telling Iran that they need to negotiate ... and then action being taken does reinforce, to a certain degree, deterrence in the Indo-Pacific," she said. She was unclear where the actions sat when it came to international law. Pressed on the issue of legality, Mr Albanese dodged questions. Acting opposition foreign spokesman Andrew Hastie said the coalition had wanted to see Iran come to the negotiating table and submit to a full inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the number of Australians who had registered for help to leave the region had jumped to about 2900 in Iran and 1300 in Israel. Department of Foreign Affairs staff were evacuated from the embassy in Tehran days earlier and were now helping Australian citizens and residents who made it through Iran's border with Azerbaijan. "That was a difficult decision to make," Senator Wong said. "The advice to me, which I discussed with the prime minister and the deputy prime minister, was to ensure we got our people out." Iran's parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, the transit route for about a quarter of the world's oil, prompting fears prices could push to $US100 a barrel or more. Despite fears about rising oil prices, NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said Australian motorists should not be concerned. "To get back to those record high prices that we saw back in 2022, you would need a catastrophe at that level to affect global supply. We're not there yet," he said. Australia previously provided resources to safeguard shipping lanes, but military involvement has been ruled out following the recent conflict. Anthony Albanese has backed America's "unilateral action" to strike Iranian nuclear facilities after a day of silence on the superpower's decision to enter the Middle East conflict. But in his first public comments since the US launched strikes on the facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, the prime minister also said a wider war must be avoided. "The world has long agreed that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon and we support action to prevent that," he said on Monday. "We don't want escalation and a full-scale war. We continue to call for dialogue and for diplomacy. "Iran didn't come to the table, just as it has repeatedly failed to comply with its international obligations." Some US allies in Europe have been more muted than Australia in their reaction to the strikes, while UN chief Antonio Guterres labelled them a dangerous escalation. Mr Albanese earlier convened a National Security Committee meeting. Asked if Australia was briefed on the US strikes beforehand, or if the nation had any involvement, the prime minister replied: "This was unilateral action taken by the United States." Mr Albanese would not say if the Pine Gap joint Australian-US intelligence surveillance base, located outside Alice Springs, was used in the operation. He also defended his decision to hold off commenting on the US strikes for at least 24 hours, saying Australia wasn't a "central player in this conflict". A government statement on Sunday noted Iran's nuclear and missile programs had been a threat to international security, while also calling for "de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy". Australian National University expert associate Jennifer Parker said it wasn't surprising Canberra might not have been briefed on the attack as it no longer had major forces in the Middle East. "The Australian government was always going to have to come out in full support of the US, otherwise it would fundamentally undermine our relationship," she said. "You cannot defend the actions that Iran has been taking as a destabilising force in the region for a long time." Australia's support for the US acknowledged what happened in the Middle East also sent "key signals" to the Indo-Pacific, Ms Parker said. "The US telling Iran that they need to negotiate ... and then action being taken does reinforce, to a certain degree, deterrence in the Indo-Pacific," she said. She was unclear where the actions sat when it came to international law. Pressed on the issue of legality, Mr Albanese dodged questions. Acting opposition foreign spokesman Andrew Hastie said the coalition had wanted to see Iran come to the negotiating table and submit to a full inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the number of Australians who had registered for help to leave the region had jumped to about 2900 in Iran and 1300 in Israel. Department of Foreign Affairs staff were evacuated from the embassy in Tehran days earlier and were now helping Australian citizens and residents who made it through Iran's border with Azerbaijan. "That was a difficult decision to make," Senator Wong said. "The advice to me, which I discussed with the prime minister and the deputy prime minister, was to ensure we got our people out." Iran's parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, the transit route for about a quarter of the world's oil, prompting fears prices could push to $US100 a barrel or more. Despite fears about rising oil prices, NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said Australian motorists should not be concerned. "To get back to those record high prices that we saw back in 2022, you would need a catastrophe at that level to affect global supply. We're not there yet," he said. Australia previously provided resources to safeguard shipping lanes, but military involvement has been ruled out following the recent conflict.
