Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged an end to the conflict in Iran in the wake of the joint US-Israel strike carried out in February.
The strike reportedly resulted in the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, after which Iran launched retaliatory attacks of its own.
Iranian missiles have since targeted countries hosting US military bases, including Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The fighting has also disrupted global energy markets, with prices climbing amid the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Albanese indicated that the campaign’s original goals—curbing Tehran’s nuclear and missile capabilities—have now been met, and he questioned what further purpose continued fighting would serve.
Speaking on Thursday (April 2) at the National Press Club in Canberra, the Aussie prime minister said: “We did express support for the original objectives: preventing Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon, and degrading its capacity to endanger its neighbors.
“And now those objectives have been realized, it is not clear what more needs to be achieved — or what the endpoint looks like.”
He also warned that a prolonged conflict could have serious consequences for the global economy.
Although Australia is a close US ally, it is not directly involved in the war. However, it has sent an electronic surveillance aircraft to support the UAE.
“What I have said very clearly, though, is that I do want to see a de-escalation, and I want there to be recognition as well as greater clarity about how this ends,” Albanese added to press.
In remarks late Wednesday, Trump said the US was “nearing completion” of its “core strategic objectives” in the war, while also signaling further attacks in the weeks ahead.
“If there is no deal, we are going to hit each and every one of their electric generating plants very hard, and probably simultaneously,” the president added.
“We have not hit their oil, even though that’s the easiest target of all, because it would not give them even a small chance of survival or rebuilding.”