logo
Wong says Israel has right to self-defence, but urges restraint as Iran pounded

Wong says Israel has right to self-defence, but urges restraint as Iran pounded

Israel has the right to defend itself, Foreign Minister Penny Wong says, but she has dodged questions over whether its surprise bombardment of Iran is a breach of international law.
Seeking to hamper Iran's attempts to develop military-grade nuclear capability, Israel struck military facilities, nuclear scientists, a major gas facility that exports internationally and other targets in a two-day barrage that Iran says has killed 78 people.
Iran retaliated with missile launches of its own that killed four people in Israel, with the US helping to shoot down a number of incoming missiles.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened Iran to expect worse to come.
It has prompted fears of all-out war in the region, and forced Iran to cancel discussions due to be held with the US on its nuclear program.
The foreign minister told ABC Insiders she had spoken with Iran's foreign minister and the Israeli government through its ambassador, urging both to show restraint.
"We urge restraint because whatever people's views about what has occurred to date, what happens tomorrow matters to all peoples in the region," Senator Wong said.
"I directly put to the Iranian foreign minister: 'We are saying to you, exercise restraint, return to diplomacy and dialogue,' because continuing to escalate this has consequences for all peoples of the region and I think that is a position that so many countries in the world are putting to not only the Iranians, but also to the Israelis."
Pushed on whether Israel's attack was legal, the senator said that was not the key concern at hand.
"Israel has a right to self-defence. The question here is not a legal proposition, the question here is what do we do now? We know Iran is a threat. We know that its nuclear program poses a threat to international peace and obviously to Israel," she said.
"What do we do about it?"
Senator Wong warned the situation was "perilous" and "very risky", and expressed her thoughts for Australians and their families in Israel and Iran.
A 24-hour consular emergency service has been stood up within the Foreign Affairs Department.
The foreign minister said advice was to shelter in place, noting that airspace above the countries was currently closed.
"Obviously that informs the advice we are giving," she said.
The minister also noted the cancellation of separate talks that were due to be held on progressing a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinian Territories, that would see Palestine recognised as a sovereign nation.
"We're so far from that right now," she said,
"There is a lot more work to be done in the time ahead."

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'Distressing': Hundreds of Aussies trying to flee Iran and Israel
'Distressing': Hundreds of Aussies trying to flee Iran and Israel

9 News

timean hour ago

  • 9 News

'Distressing': Hundreds of Aussies trying to flee Iran and Israel

Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Foreign Minister Penny Wong revealed the figures today while calling for de-escalation on the fourth day of the conflict. She said about 350 Australians in Iran and 300 in Israel had registered with the government for help to leave the region. Foreign Minister Penny Wong speaks to the media from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade crisis centre on Monday, June 16, 2025. (9News) "I understand how concerned, how distressed many Australians are about what is occurring," she said from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade crisis centre. "I understand, particularly those who are in the Middle East, in Israel or Iran, how worrying this situation is, how frightening it is. "And I also recognise, for families of people who are in the region this is a distressing time." She said the Australian government was looking at all contingencies and planning for assisted departures when safe. "What I would say is, at the moment, airspace is closed," she said. "This means that governments have closed down airspace because of the risk of strikes on civilian aircraft. Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, on Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner) "So obviously we have to wait until airspace is open before we can try to get people out by air." Meanwhile, Australians were urged to shelter in place and pay attention the advice from the Australian and local governments, as the foreign minister called on Israel and Iran to show restraint. "No one doubts the threat Iran poses. We have long been speaking about this as an international community. We have long put sanctions in place," she said. "We have, Australia has, been part of the pressure that has been applied to the Iranian regime in relation to their nuclear program and their non-proliferation obligations. So no one doubts that. Smoke rises from an oil storage facility after it appeared to have been struck by an Israeli strike on Saturday, in Tehran, Iran, on Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) "The question is, what do you do about it? Is your response going to risk dire consequences for the region. "Our call for diplomacy, for dialogue, for de-escalation, is the same call that is being made by the United Kingdom, by Canada, by France, by so many countries around the world, and it's consistent with what President Trump has said." Iran fired a new wave of missile attacks on Israel early on Monday, killing at least five people, while Israel claimed it had achieved air superiority over Tehran and could fly over the Iranian capital without facing major threats. The Israeli military said it had destroyed more than 120 surface-to-surface missile launchers in central Iran, a third of Iran's total. It also said fighter jets had struck 10 command centers in Tehran belonging to Iran's Quds Force, an elite arm of its Revolutionary Guard that conducts military and intelligence operations outside Iran. Rescue teams work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, on Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner) "At this time, we can say that we have achieved full aerial superiority over Tehran's skies," said military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin. Israeli strikes "amount to a deep and comprehensive blow to the Iranian threat", he said. Iran announced it had launched some 100 missiles and vowed further retaliation for sweeping attacks on its military and nuclear infrastructure that have killed at least 224 people in the country since Friday. Israel said so far 24 people have been killed and more than 500 injured as Iran launched more than 370 missiles and hundreds of drones. People evacuate after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, on Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner) The latest conflict began when Israel launched an assault on Iran's top military leaders, uranium enrichment sites and nuclear scientists that it said was necessary to prevent its long time adversary from getting any closer to building an atomic weapon. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful, and the U.S. and others have assessed that Tehran has not pursued a nuclear weapon since 2003. But the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned that the country has enough enriched uranium to make several nuclear bombs if it chooses to do so. Iran has retaliated by firing waves of ballistic missiles at Israel. The back-and-forth has raised concerns about all-out war between the countries and propelled the region, already on edge, into even greater upheaval. - Reported with Associated Press  CONTACT US

Developments in the Middle East – Monday 16 Jun 2025
Developments in the Middle East – Monday 16 Jun 2025

SBS Australia

time2 hours ago

  • SBS Australia

Developments in the Middle East – Monday 16 Jun 2025

SBS Indonesian 16/06/2025 09:13 Israel and Iran are continuing to strike each other as the death toll from the weekend reaches hundreds, with many more injured. The strikes come as Group of Seven leaders meet in Canada, with the current escalations expected to dominate talks. Listen to SBS Indonesian every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 3 pm. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to our podcasts .

Israel fumes as France nixes weapons stands at airshow
Israel fumes as France nixes weapons stands at airshow

The Advertiser

time2 hours ago

  • The Advertiser

Israel fumes as France nixes weapons stands at airshow

France has shut down the four main Israeli company stands at the Paris Airshow for apparently displaying bombs and other offensive weapons, in a move condemned by Israel that highlights the growing tensions between the traditional allies. A source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday that the instruction came from French authorities after Israeli firms failed to comply with a direction from a French security agency to remove offensive or kinetic weapons from the stands. The stands were being used by Elbit Systems , Rafael, IAI and Uvision. Three smaller Israeli stands, which didn't have hardware on display, and an Israeli Ministry of Defence stand, remain open. France, a long-time Israeli ally, has gradually hardened its position on the government of Benjamin Netanyahu over its actions in Gaza and military interventions abroad. French President Emmanuel Macron made a distinction last week between Israel's right to protect itself, which France supports and could take part in, and strikes on Iran it did not recommend. Israel's defence ministry said it had categorically rejected the order to remove some weapons systems from displays, and that exhibition organisers responded by erecting a black wall that separated the Israeli industry pavilions from others. This action, it added, was carried out in the middle of the night after Israeli defence officials and companies had already finished setting up their displays. "This outrageous and unprecedented decision reeks of policy-driven and commercial considerations," the ministry said in a statement. Rafael described the French move as "unprecedented, unjustified, and politically motivated," adding it fully supported the Israeli ministry of defence's decision not to comply with the order to remove some equipment from display. France has shut down the four main Israeli company stands at the Paris Airshow for apparently displaying bombs and other offensive weapons, in a move condemned by Israel that highlights the growing tensions between the traditional allies. A source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday that the instruction came from French authorities after Israeli firms failed to comply with a direction from a French security agency to remove offensive or kinetic weapons from the stands. The stands were being used by Elbit Systems , Rafael, IAI and Uvision. Three smaller Israeli stands, which didn't have hardware on display, and an Israeli Ministry of Defence stand, remain open. France, a long-time Israeli ally, has gradually hardened its position on the government of Benjamin Netanyahu over its actions in Gaza and military interventions abroad. French President Emmanuel Macron made a distinction last week between Israel's right to protect itself, which France supports and could take part in, and strikes on Iran it did not recommend. Israel's defence ministry said it had categorically rejected the order to remove some weapons systems from displays, and that exhibition organisers responded by erecting a black wall that separated the Israeli industry pavilions from others. This action, it added, was carried out in the middle of the night after Israeli defence officials and companies had already finished setting up their displays. "This outrageous and unprecedented decision reeks of policy-driven and commercial considerations," the ministry said in a statement. Rafael described the French move as "unprecedented, unjustified, and politically motivated," adding it fully supported the Israeli ministry of defence's decision not to comply with the order to remove some equipment from display. France has shut down the four main Israeli company stands at the Paris Airshow for apparently displaying bombs and other offensive weapons, in a move condemned by Israel that highlights the growing tensions between the traditional allies. A source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday that the instruction came from French authorities after Israeli firms failed to comply with a direction from a French security agency to remove offensive or kinetic weapons from the stands. The stands were being used by Elbit Systems , Rafael, IAI and Uvision. Three smaller Israeli stands, which didn't have hardware on display, and an Israeli Ministry of Defence stand, remain open. France, a long-time Israeli ally, has gradually hardened its position on the government of Benjamin Netanyahu over its actions in Gaza and military interventions abroad. French President Emmanuel Macron made a distinction last week between Israel's right to protect itself, which France supports and could take part in, and strikes on Iran it did not recommend. Israel's defence ministry said it had categorically rejected the order to remove some weapons systems from displays, and that exhibition organisers responded by erecting a black wall that separated the Israeli industry pavilions from others. This action, it added, was carried out in the middle of the night after Israeli defence officials and companies had already finished setting up their displays. "This outrageous and unprecedented decision reeks of policy-driven and commercial considerations," the ministry said in a statement. Rafael described the French move as "unprecedented, unjustified, and politically motivated," adding it fully supported the Israeli ministry of defence's decision not to comply with the order to remove some equipment from display. France has shut down the four main Israeli company stands at the Paris Airshow for apparently displaying bombs and other offensive weapons, in a move condemned by Israel that highlights the growing tensions between the traditional allies. A source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday that the instruction came from French authorities after Israeli firms failed to comply with a direction from a French security agency to remove offensive or kinetic weapons from the stands. The stands were being used by Elbit Systems , Rafael, IAI and Uvision. Three smaller Israeli stands, which didn't have hardware on display, and an Israeli Ministry of Defence stand, remain open. France, a long-time Israeli ally, has gradually hardened its position on the government of Benjamin Netanyahu over its actions in Gaza and military interventions abroad. French President Emmanuel Macron made a distinction last week between Israel's right to protect itself, which France supports and could take part in, and strikes on Iran it did not recommend. Israel's defence ministry said it had categorically rejected the order to remove some weapons systems from displays, and that exhibition organisers responded by erecting a black wall that separated the Israeli industry pavilions from others. This action, it added, was carried out in the middle of the night after Israeli defence officials and companies had already finished setting up their displays. "This outrageous and unprecedented decision reeks of policy-driven and commercial considerations," the ministry said in a statement. Rafael described the French move as "unprecedented, unjustified, and politically motivated," adding it fully supported the Israeli ministry of defence's decision not to comply with the order to remove some equipment from display.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store