Australia’s Prime Minister issues blunt warning to Donald Trump as he expresses concern over Iran war
Britt Jones
Featured Image Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, has called out Donald Trump for the war against Iran, as he warns him about his objectives.
The conflict between Iran, the US and Israel is entering its second month, after the POTUS initially claimed it would be over within a matter of days.
However, with no end in sight, things have been getting more complicated as other nations weighed in on the war.
It all began on February 28, when Israel and the US began firing missiles at Iran, leading to retaliatory strikes on US bases in neighboring countries.
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Recently, it has been reported that the Department of War is preparing for ground operations, with thousands of US soldiers and Marines having traveled to the Middle East.
But without a clear understanding of what the objectives are in this war, other nations are struggling to support it.
Speaking in Canberra on Monday (March 30), Aussie leader Albanese has asked for ‘more certainty’ from the US on its objectives in Iran, while warning that it’ll be a difficult task to change the nation’s regime.
While the PM has issued his support and stated that it’s important to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon and to change its leadership, Albanese wants to see an end to the conflict.
"I want to see more certainty in what the objectives of the war are, and I want to see a de-escalation," he said. "A de-escalation is in the global economy's interest. I have nothing but contempt for the Iranian regime."
Calling the task of changing its regime ‘very difficult’, he added: "At the beginning of the conflict the objectives were outlined as one: stopping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, which has been clearly achieved."
He went on to say in his address: "Secondly, degrading the opportunity that Iran has for engaging in military action, either overt or through its proxies in Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis. Clearly there has been a substantial degrading of Iran's position.
"The third was regime change and I think that, very clearly, history tells us that regime change imposed from outside is very difficult."
However, Albanese noted that ‘whether that is going to occur or not is something that I think needs to be outlined’.
"This has had a devastating impact and that tail will continue for some time," he added. "Quite clearly there is a need to see an end point. I think that's what people want to see."
It comes as Australia has seen fuel prices soar by around 40 percent, as per ABC News, since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran as the conflict effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz.
The POTUS previously said he was having ‘productive talks’ with Iran about ending the war, but the Middle Eastern nation has denied any negotiations have been taking place – going as far as to say that it is ready to take on US troops if they set their boots on the ground.
On March 19, several nations, including the UK, France, Germany, and Italy, issued a joint statement, saying they 'condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces'.
"We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict. We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping, and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817," they continued.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also previously said that he wouldn't get involved in the conflict and wanted 'to see an end to this war as quickly as possible', leading Trump to criticize his leadership.
Russia, which is an ally of Iran, has similarly condemned the war between the two countries, as Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia said: "The aggression that Iran was subjected to today has already resulted in an escalation in the region and could spill over far beyond its borders."
UNILAD has reached out to the White House for comment.