Penny Wong condemns Iran's strikes on US bases
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has spoken out following Iran 's strikes on a US airbase in Qatar. 'Australia condemns Iran's strikes on US bases in Qatar and Iraq ,' she said.
'We do not want to see further escalation. A full-scale war in the Middle East would be devastating for the people of the region and the world. 'Australia continues to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.'
Closure of airspace around transit hubs in the Middle East could impact flights globally, she warned. 'Australians traveling should seek updates from their airlines and follow @Smartraveller.'
Iran fired 19 missiles at the largest US base in the Middle East but only one hit the facility, causing no casualties, according to Qatari officials. Wong's swift response to the strikes came after the government wavered in its endorsement of the US bombing of nuclear sites in Iran over the weekend.
It took 24 hours for Anthony Albanese to explicitly support the US military action - initially, the government had issued a statement calling for 'dialogue'. On Monday however, Albanese spoke out in support of the US.
'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. 'The US action was directed at specific sites central to Iran's nuclear program.
'We don't want escalation and a full-scale war. We continue to call for dialogue and for diplomacy.' When pressed by reporters about his delay in supporting the US action, Albanese said: 'We issued a statement yesterday.'
On Tuesday AEST, Donald Trump announced that Iran and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire, two weeks after they started exchanging missile strikes and two days after he bombed the Islamic Republic's nuclear labs.
The president said the '12 day war' will 'end' in 24 hours, despite both nations warning of future strikes and just hours after Tehran attacked the American base in Qatar.
