Antinuclear

Australia backs US strikes on Iran while urging return to diplomacy

Australia’s explicit expression of support for the strikes goes a step further than allies including the UK, Canada and New Zealand

By political reporter Tom Crowley ABC News 23 June 25

In short: 

Australia has given its support to US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities but has repeated calls for de-escalation to avoid a wider war.  

Penny Wong said Australia had not received a request for assistance and declined to speculate on how any request would be met.

What’s next?

A National Security Meeting was held in Canberra on Monday morning. 

Australia has given its support to US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities but has repeated calls for de-escalation to avoid a wider war. 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday Australia was in favour of action to prevent Iran getting a nuclear weapon, echoing comments made earlier on Monday by Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

“The world has long agreed Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon, and we support action to prevent that. That is what this is,” the PM told reporters.

The government initially adopted a more cautious tone, declining to give its explicit support.

Senator Wong said Australia had not received a request for assistance and emphasised the US action was “unilateral” when asked whether Pine Gap, a shared military facility, had been engaged.

While the PM and foreign minister declined to speculate on the response to any such request, Mr Albanese said Australia was “deeply concerned” about the prospect of escalation, placing the onus on Iran.

“We want to see diplomacy, dialogue and de-escalation … Iran had an opportunity to comply, they chose not to and there have been consequences of that,” he said.

Earlier, Senator Wong cited a UN watchdog finding that Iran had acquired enriched uranium at “almost military level”.

“The key question for the international community is what happens next … It’s obviously a very precarious, risky and dangerous moment the world faces,” she said.

The National Security Committee, comprised of key ministers, met in Canberra this morning.

Australia’s explicit expression of support for the strikes goes a step further than allies including the UK, Canada and New Zealand, although all three countries have emphasised the risk of Iran gaining nuclear weapons.

Opposition supports strike, Greens opposed

The Coalition supported the strikes on Sunday and also says it does not want further war, but has put the onus on Iran to negotiate peace.

“We want to see Iran come to the negotiating table to verify where that 400 kilos of enriched uranium is,” Andrew Hastie told ABC Radio National……………………………………..

Dave Sharma, a Liberal senator and former Australian ambassador to Israel, said the government’s response was “underwhelming and perplexing” on Sunday and that support for the strikes “should be a straightforward position for Australia to adopt”.

The Greens are against the strike, with defence spokesperson David Shoebridge calling Donald Trump a “warmonger” and demanding Australia clarify it will not get involved.

“You cannot bomb your way to peace … and the people who are always going to pay the price are the ordinary people on the street,” he said.

……………………………………………….. Five Eyes partners respond

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to Mr Trump via phone, emphasising the “grave risk” of Iran’s nuclear program and placing the onus on Iran “returning to the negotiating table as soon as possible”, according to a readout of the call.

A joint statement from the UK, France, Germany and Italy urged Iran not to “take any further action that could destabilise the region” but did not include an explicit position on the strike.

The New Zealand government has “acknowledged” the strike, and called for diplomacy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters saying “ongoing military action in the Middle East is extremely worrying”.

Canadian PM Mark Carney said Iran should not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon and that the US strike “was designed to alleviate that threat”, but stopped short of explicitly endorsing it and called for “all parties” to return to the negotiating table. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-23/australia-backs-us-strikes/105448088

June 24, 2025 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international