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Sky News AU
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
'Flat-footed': Prime Minister Anthony Albanese convenes National Security Committee 24 hours after US strikes on Iran
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has convened a meeting of the National Security Committee of Cabinet almost 24 hours after the United States conducted strikes against Iran. The committee includes Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Defence Minister Richard Marles, and other cabinet members. Mr Albanese has not made a public appearance since US President Donald Trump confirmed the strikes on Sunday. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Penny Wong finally expressed support for the US attacks on Monday after initially failing to back Australia's closest ally. 'What happens now matters. We do not want to see escalation. We call for diplomacy, de-escalation and dialogue,' Ms Wong said at a doorstop press conference on Monday. 'The world does not want to a full-scale war in the Middle East.' Ms Wong also told reporters that Australia was 'not a central player' in the Israel-Iran conflict. Two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) planes landed in Dubai on Sunday ahead of repatriation flights for Australians stranded in Israel. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) there were about 2,900 Australians in Iran and 1,300 in Israel who were seeking to leave the region. Acting shadow foreign affairs minister Andrew Hastie, in response, criticised the Albanese government for being "flat-footed" in its response to the conflict on Monday. 'I think, though, what yesterday demonstrated was that the prime minister's flat-footed," he told the ABC. "His instincts aren't great on this, and he should have called a NSC (National Security Council) meeting yesterday for an event of such significance." Shadow competition minister Dave Sharma also told Sky News that Australia had made itself 'irrelevant' through the conflict. 'We had (Defence Minister) Richard Marles… calling for de-escalation at the very same time, almost, that US B2 bombers… were striking nuclear targets in Iran,' he said. 'No one listens to our views seriously anymore on these issues, particularly in the Middle East.' Just hours before President Donald Trump confirmed the US had destroyed Iran's nuclear facilities, Mr Marles had called for 'de-escalation'. "The Iranian nuclear ballistic missile program is most definitely a threat to the peace and stability of not only the Middle East," he told Sky News on Sunday. 'We have used our voice to urge de-escalation. And that's our position in respect of both the Iranian program, but also, more specifically, in respect of this conflict.' Mr Marles was asked if he was having '$1 each way' by not explicitly supporting the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites, prohibiting their access to world-ending technology. The Defence Minister stumbled over his answer as he attempted to explain the government's stance on the matter. 'Uh, uh. Um, I'm... articulating the Australian government's position. That's the only thing I can articulate,' Mr Marles said. 'We are making it clear that we see that the Iranian program represents a threat to the peace and stability of the region and the world... 'What we're saying in relation to this specific conflict is that we are worried about its prospect for escalation.' Roughly 24 hours later, Ms Wong insisted the government was 'very clear' in its support for US strikes against Iran. '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.' Her comments mark a notable shift in tone from the carefully worded government statement released on Sunday. That initial statement did not include any reference to Australia 'supporting' the US action.
7NEWS
21 hours ago
- Politics
- 7NEWS
Wong clarifies Australia's stance on Trump bombing Iranian nuclear sites
Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek have confirmed to Sunrise that the Albanese government does support President Trump's strikes on Iran's three nuclear sites. The issue of support had become controversial after the Australian government released a statement on Sunday, following the bombing attacks by US B-2 stealth bombers and submarines, that was silent on the issue. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Penny Wong confirms Australia's support for US strike on Iran. 'We note the US president's statement that now is the time for peace,' the statement read. 'The security situation in the region is highly volatile. We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.' But early Monday morning Plibersek cleared up the confusion, which had become a point of attack for the Coalition, who had described the Albanese Government's statement as 'ambiguous'. 'Yes we do support the strike ... we certainly don't want to see full-scale war in the Middle East as it is a delicate and difficult time,' Plibersek said. 'We would encourage Iran to come back to the negotiating table. We've been saying that for some time now, along with the rest of the intenational community. 'No one wants to see Iran develop a nuclear weapon, we know they have been enriching uranium towards that goal. 'Now is the time for reinvigorated efforts towards diplomacy, because a full-scale war in the Middle East would be a terrible thing.' 7NEWS understands Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will convene the National Security Committee of Cabinet, and will address the nation later this morning. The National Security Committee, officially known as the National Security Committee of Cabinet, is the paramount decision-making body for national security and major foreign policy (including usage of the Australian Defence Force) matters in the Australian Government. Foreign Minister Penny Wong says what happens next is crucial. 'We need to avert an escalation to full-scale war,' Wong said to Sunrise. 'I am sure you will be hearing from the prime minister later today.'
