Israel striking Iran ‘risks further destabilising a region that is already volatile', Australian foreign minister says
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said that Israel had launched 'preemptive strikes' on Iranian military facilities.
Wong told reporters on Friday that the government was 'alarmed by the escalation in tensions between Israel and Iran'.
'This risks further destabilising a region that is already volatile. We call on all parties to refrain from actions and rhetoric that would further exacerbate tensions,' she said.
'We all understand … the threat of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program. It represents a threat to international peace and security, and we urge the parties to prioritise dialogue and diplomacy.'
Wong said she had spoken to the Israeli ambassador on Thursday.
The foreign minister was asked whether Australian military or diplomatic staff would be withdrawn from Tehran and the region.
'You should assume that we take the safety of Australians very seriously, the Australians who work either in the ADF or in our other posts overseas through various other agencies, and we will always take the appropriate action on that,' Wong said.
The minister told Australians in the region to monitor the Smartraveller website for travel advice.
The Coalition said it too was 'concerned' about further escalation.
'The Coalition is concerned about the escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict and encourages dialogue between both countries,' Cash wrote on X.
'We expect the government to prioritise the safety of Australian personnel and their families. We also call on Iran to stop its sponsorship of terrorism, including backing Hamas and Hezbollah.'
The Greens senator David Shoebridge said the attacks risked 'tipping the world into a larger war'.
Sign up to Morning Mail
Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters
after newsletter promotion
Shoebridge said the party condemned the action by Israel.
'The Australian government must call on Israel to step back from military brinkmanship and engage with international legal processes and diplomatic solutions,' he said on Friday.
'Israel's actions threaten to ignite a wider regional conflict that would have devastating consequences for tens of millions of people around the world.'
Wong announced a new $10m aid package for Gaza on Friday to deliver critical medical support and food for children.
'The situation for the people of Gaza is catastrophic. Civilians killed by the thousands, people starving, children going without food and medical supplies. Schools, hospitals, and homes destroyed,' Wong said.
'I know so many Australians are distressed by the suffering and many Australians are frustrated that we have been unable to move the dial on our own. But as I said, that doesn't mean you do nothing. We do what we can by working with partners.'
The aid would be delivered through the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordanian Organisation, operating field hospitals in Gaza, and through Unicef, Wong said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
25 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Independent MP Nicolette Boele calls out parliament's lack of ambition in her first speech
Nicolette Boele, who sensationally beat Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian by just 26 votes in the seat of Bradfield, gave her maiden speech to parliament on Monday, saying Australia is moving towards a decentralised and more people-centred rather than party-centred democracy. She said there was 'widespread conviction' that politicians were 'incapable of dealing with systemic longstanding issues' such as regulating online media platforms, climate change, gambling and housing affordability, adding that unlike previous reform to gun laws, or the introduction of medicare, the parliament was not ambitious enough
The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Minns government rejects pro-Palestine march across Sydney Harbour Bridge over timing and ‘chaos' fears
Organisers of a pro-Palestine rally have offered to delay their march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge by a week after the New South Wales government said it would not support a protest of that scale and nature this Sunday. On Monday, the Sydney-based Palestine Action Group announced it planned to change the course of its near-weekly rallies through the CBD and instead walk across the iconic bridge to the US consulate. The premier, Chris Minns, responded that the government could not support a protest of that size across the bridge this weekend. 'We cannot allow Sydney to descend into chaos,' Minns said in a statement. 'The NSW government cannot support a protest of this scale and nature taking place on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, especially with one week's notice. 'The bridge is one of the most critical pieces of infrastructure in our city used every day by thousands of people. Unplanned disruption risks not only significant inconvenience, but real public safety concerns.' Sign up: AU Breaking News email Minns said police were 'in discussions with organisers' about other routes they can take and 'are working to ensure community safety is upheld'. The Palestine Action Group announced the rally in a social media post, talking about the starvation of people in Gaza. 'This is a genocide. Even if, under global pressure, Israel temporarily allows some food into Gaza, it will not mean the end of Israel's goal of ethnically cleansing the [Gaza] strip.' The group said 'this extraordinary situation' has led it to call for a March for Humanity over the bridge on 3 August 'to save Gaza'. Josh Lees, a spokesperson for the group, said if the premier needed more notice in order to support the rally, then the group could organise the march a week later. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'In 2023, the Harbour Bridge was closed for several hours to shoot a scene for a Ryan Gosling film. It is regularly closed at short notice for maintenance or emergencies. It was closed for the historic 2000 march for reconciliation and the 2023 World Pride march. It can be temporarily closed to help stop a genocide,' Lees said. The group has submitted what is known as a 'form one' to police. The form is a notification to hold a public assembly that, if accepted by police, would protect those attending from being potentially charged under anti-protest laws. In 2022, the then NSW Liberal government legislated – with support from Labor – a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $22,000 fine for protesters who obstruct facilities such as ports and transport hubs. The penalty also applies to protests on main roads. Last year, the Palestine Action Group faced a supreme court challenge by NSW police after the force knocked back its form one application to hold two pro-Palestine events in October. The group managed to come to an agreement with police that it would change the route of a rally on 6 October and an event on 7 October would be a standing vigil.
Times
27 minutes ago
- Times
New Anglo-Australian defence treaty should include more nations
Nuclear-powered submarines are among some of the most complex objects built by man. They require exceptional build quality, such as in the welds used to ensure structural integrity. The skills required are scarce and in high demand, which is why even the United States finds it challenging to launch more than one a year. Together with the US, China, Russia, France and now India, the United Kingdom is a member of the small club of nations capable of producing these deadly prowlers of the ocean depths, the presence of which can send lesser navies scurrying for port. However, the immense cost of these vessels, the capital ships of the modern era, means that it is difficult to maintain a steady drumbeat of production. Gaps in orders can result in the running down of supply chains and an exodus of trained workers. That is why the signing this weekend of the 50-year Geelong treaty between the UK and Australia is so important. The agreement covers the construction in Barrow-in-Furness and Adelaide of a new class of hunter-killer sub (SSN), nuclear powered but conventionally armed. Britain is looking to build 12 in a move that would take the Royal Navy back to its Cold War strength. Australia may build half a dozen. Good news for Barrow, home to Britain's only nuclear yard, and Rolls Royce in Derby, where submarine reactors are made. Some 7,000 jobs will be created at Barrow and in the supply chain; the export of components to Australia will earn £20 billion over 25 years. There is, however, uncertainty hanging over the deal. Geelong is a subsidiary part of the Aukus agreement involving the US, UK and Australia. The idea is for the Americans to sell Australia three to five off-the-shelf SSNs to serve as a stop-gap before the arrival of its home-built subs in the 2040s. But Aukus, a child of the Biden era, is now in danger of falling victim to the Trump administration's 'America first' policy. There is fear in Washington that the loss of the subs would seriously undermine the US Navy's ability to defend Taiwan from invasion by China. This wavering American commitment to Aukus is further evidence of the need for US allies to future-proof their armed forces against its increasingly mercurial security policy. That means not being overly reliant on the US for equipment. Britain is already cooperating with Italy and Japan on the Tempest combat aircraft project, and growing closer to France and Germany in the nuclear and conventional fields. Geelong suggests another, complementary route: the rebuilding of Britain's defence-industrial ties with its most trusted friends in a 'Canzuk' alliance of Canada, Australia, the UK and New Zealand. These countries have gone their own way on trade, with old Commonwealth patterns of commerce replaced by regional ones, but they can all benefit from economies of scale. Together, Canzuk has a joint GDP that is fourth behind China, the US and the European Union. That promises economies of scale in defence procurement without the overweening influence of the US. The Canzuk concept joins together nations with shared histories and values. Trade may have declined, but not trust. The four are already partners in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance and can do a lot more to strengthen mutual security. In this uncertain world, where authoritarian powers threaten the international order and the US insurance policy is expiring, old ties can be put to new uses.
