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Australia says Iran’s nuclear program ‘a threat to international peace’ after US launches attacks and threatens more Albanese government criticised for ‘weak’ response to US attacks on Iran as experts decry ‘flagrant breach’ of law
(about 3 hours later)
Albanese government says ‘security situation in region is highly volatile’ as experts and Greens decry Trump-ordered strikes as illegal Former adviser to Penny Wong argues Australia should make clear ‘we are a country that stands up … for the rules-based order’
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The federal government has called for “de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy” after the US bombed Iran, as almost 4,000 Australian citizens attempt to escape the conflict zone. Australia has called for “de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy” after the US bombed Iran, as almost 4,000 Australian citizens attempt to escape the conflict zone.
Donald Trump said the US had “totally obliterated” key Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities after directly intervening to aid Israel’s mission to destroy Tehran’s nuclear program. International law and foreign policy experts, as well as the Greens, said the US strikes were illegal and should be condemned, putting pressure on the Albanese government to distance itself from Donald Trump.
Trump said Iran, which he called “the bully of the Middle East”, “must make peace”. The federal Coalition backed the attacks on three nuclear sites and accused Labor of being “too ambiguous” in its response to the major escalation in the Middle East conflict.
Trump said the US had “totally obliterated” key Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan after directly intervening to aid Israel’s mission to destroy Tehran’s nuclear program.
The US president said Iran, which he called “the bully of the Middle East”, “must make peace”.
“If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier. For 40 years, Iran has been saying death to America, death to Israel.”“If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier. For 40 years, Iran has been saying death to America, death to Israel.”
In a statement issued after Trump’s White House address, a federal government spokesperson did not explicitly endorse the strikes, but reiterated Australia’s position on the risk posed by Iran’s nuclear program.In a statement issued after Trump’s White House address, a federal government spokesperson did not explicitly endorse the strikes, but reiterated Australia’s position on the risk posed by Iran’s nuclear program.
“We have been clear that Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security,” a government spokesperson said. “We have been clear that Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security,” the spokesperson said.
“We note the US president’s statement that now is the time for peace. The security situation in the region is highly volatile. We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.”“We note the US president’s statement that now is the time for peace. The security situation in the region is highly volatile. We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.”
A chorus of international lawyers and foreign policy experts labelled the US attacks unlawful under the UN charter, which only allows countries to use force to defend themselves against armed attack – not in anticipation of one.
Ben Saul, the Challis chair of international law at the University of Sydney, argued the US strikes amounted to an “international crime of aggression”, which marked a “new low” in the ongoing erosion of international law.
“What’s happened in Gaza over the past 18 months has crossed all kinds of red lines on disrespect for international law. It has weakened the capacity of international law to act as a politically restraining force in international relations,” he said on Sunday.
Saul described the federal government’s response as “pretty weak”. He said Australia should stand up for the “red lines of international law”.
Allan Behm, a special adviser at the Australia Institute thinktank, said the bombings were a “flagrant breach” of the international rules-based order.
Behm, a former adviser to the foreign minister, Penny Wong, said Australia should have “made clear we are a country that stands up … for the rules-based order”.
The international law expert Prof Donald Rothwell said it was “virtually impossible” to mount a case that the US strikes were legal under international law.
Rothwell said the US attacks could set a precedent for other countries to use self-defence arguments as cover for pre-emptive attacks – a fear shared by Saul.
“The really concerning aspect of this is the precedent it sets,” Rothwell said.
“If the United States can do this, and this is a precedent that the United States is taking in terms of its interpretation of self-defence, or the way in which you can use force, then other states will take that into account in terms of how they consider their own future conduct.”
The federal opposition leader, Sussan Ley, and the acting shadow foreign minister, Andrew Hastie, said the Coalition supported the US attacks.
“The world can never accept a nuclear-armed Iranian regime and today the United States military has taken proactive action to ensure that we never need to,” Ley and Hastie said in a statement.
“While Australians will never seek conflict in the world, we can never forget that the Iranian regime is a militantly theocratic autocracy.”
Hastie told reporters the government’s position on the US strikes was “far too ambiguous”.
Speaking before news of the bombings broke, the defence minister, Richard Marles, refused to be drawn on whether a US attack would be justified.Speaking before news of the bombings broke, the defence minister, Richard Marles, refused to be drawn on whether a US attack would be justified.
However, while repeating calls for a de-escalation in the conflict, Marles restated the government’s position that Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program was a threat to the region and “stability of the world”.However, while repeating calls for a de-escalation in the conflict, Marles restated the government’s position that Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program was a threat to the region and “stability of the world”.
The government last week deployed Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel to the Middle East to help evacuate citizens stuck in Israel and Iran amid the latest escalation in the conflict.The government last week deployed Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel to the Middle East to help evacuate citizens stuck in Israel and Iran amid the latest escalation in the conflict.
The number of Australian citizens seeking government help to evacuate the Middle East had reached 3,800 as of Sunday morning, including 2,600 people in Iran and 1,200 in Israel.The number of Australian citizens seeking government help to evacuate the Middle East had reached 3,800 as of Sunday morning, including 2,600 people in Iran and 1,200 in Israel.
Marles confirmed chartered civilian aircraft were ready to depart as soon as airspace over Iran and Israel reopened.Marles confirmed chartered civilian aircraft were ready to depart as soon as airspace over Iran and Israel reopened.
“Australians in Israel and Iran and the region should continue to monitor public safety information provided by local authorities, including to shelter in place when required,” the government spokesperson said on Sunday.“Australians in Israel and Iran and the region should continue to monitor public safety information provided by local authorities, including to shelter in place when required,” the government spokesperson said on Sunday.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will be communicating directly with registered Australians about preparations for assisted departures.”“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will be communicating directly with registered Australians about preparations for assisted departures.”
In a statement, the federal opposition leader, Sussan Ley, and the acting shadow foreign minister, Andrew Hastie, said the Coalition supported the US attacks. The Greens’ defence spokesperson, David Shoebridge, said with the world at the “crossroads” the Albanese government should be a “force for peace, not for war”.
“The world can never accept a nuclear-armed Iranian regime and today the United States military has taken proactive action to ensure that we never need to,” Ley and Hastie said in a statement. “With US president Trump’s bombing of Iran showing clearly that he is no friend of peace, the Albanese government must distance Australia from these actions,” he said.
“While Australians will never seek conflict in the world, we can never forget that the Iranian regime is a militantly theocratic autocracy.”
The international law expert Prof Donald Rothwell said it was “virtually impossible” to mount a case that the US strikes were legal under international law.
Under article 51 of the UN charter, states can use force to defend themselves from an armed attack.
International law experts say the charter does not provide a broader right to pre-emptive attacks, such as the strikes Israel, and now the US, have launched on Iran.
Rothwell, a professor at the Australian National University, said given there had been no direct threat from Iran towards the US then Trump’s attack could not be justified.
“It’s virtually impossible, I think, for the United States to mount any credible legal argument [for the strikes] on that basis,” he said.
Rothwell said the US attacks could set a precedent for how other countries would use self-defence arguments as cover for pre-emptive attacks.
“The really concerning aspect of this is the precedent it sets. If the United States can do this, and this is a precedent that the United States is taking in terms of its interpretation of self-defence, or the way in which you can use force, then other states will take that into account in terms of how they consider their own future conduct.”
The Australian Greens leader, Larissa Waters, said the federal government should condemn the US attacks which she described as a “terrifying and catastrophic escalation”.
“From Iraq to Afghanistan, we have seen Australia follow the US into devastating and brutal wars that have done untold damage to the people of the Middle East,” she said. “We know that you cannot bomb your way to peace.”