Australia’s Prime Minister has reiterated calls for “deescalation” in the Israel-US-Iran war as renewed fighting broke out as the conflict reached its 100-day mark.
Israel and Iran have exchanged volleys of missiles in renewed, putting President Trump’s fragile Middle East ceasefire to the test.
It came hours after US President Donald Trump called on Israel to refrain from retaliating against a barrage of strikes from Tehran into the country’s north.
The war began on February 28 after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Tehran killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz prompted by the war has led to a global energy crisis with more than a fifth of the world’s oil supply disrupted.
Mr Albanese on Monday dismissed questions about whether Australia regretted its swift backing of the US-led actions.
The Prime Minister stood firm on the government’s initial position that the strikes were necessary to stop Iran’s nuclear build up.
“Iran can’t be allowed to get a nuclear weapon. That was the position that we took,” Mr Albanese said.
“That’s the right position. We’ve called for de-escalation.
“We’ve called for a clear exit plan out of this, and we’ve done that consistently for a long period of time. This needs to conclude.
“This is having a devastating impact on the global economy, not the least is here in Australia, but it’s having an impact as well on countries which aren’t protagonists in this war, such as the United Arab Emirates and other countries in the Middle East.”
Talks for a permanent peace deal have repeatedly collapsed after frequent violations of agreements to halt the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Ted O’Brien said “Iran cannot continue to threaten its neighbours” and “hold the world economy hostage”.
“For stability to be restored, a successful deal must be reached that reopens global fuel supply, guarantees regional security and ensures Iran cannot continue to threaten its neighbours and hold the world economy hostage,” he said.
“No one wants to see the conflict escalate or the fuel crisis deepen, but this is an extremely volatile and fast-moving situation.
“It is in Australia’s interest to see the conflict end and the Strait of Hormuz reopened, just as it is in the world’s interest to ensure Iran can never acquire a nuclear weapon.”
The latest exchange of missiles from Iran came after Israel launched airstrikes on the Lebanese capital of Beirut, hitting two buildings in the southern suburbs.
Israeli forces said they then struck western and central parts of Iran in an apparent retaliation.
“The Israeli Air Force struck military targets belonging to the Iranian terror regime in western and central Iran a short while ago,” the IDF said in a statement posted to X.
US President Donald Trump had sought to rein in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, insisting they should “get back to the table and make a deal”.
Mr Trump insisted the parties were “very close to a final deal” and expressed he didn’t want “it to blow up” over the latest escalation.
However, Israel’s far right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a warning to his X account on Monday, saying “tonight Tehran must burn”.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy also urged all parties to “ take a breath, de-escalate and find a solution”, labelling any flare up “incredibly unhelpful”.
“All parties need to take a breath, de-escalate and find a solution to what’s occurring there,” Mr Conroy told ABC radio on Monday.
“We just continue to call for everyone to return to the negotiating table.
“We want the ceasefire to hold and a long term peace to be negotiated and agreed to so that the Strait of Hormuz can be reopened and resources can flow to and from that region. That’s critical to the global economy.”
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