Albo declines to weigh in after Trump’s Middle East F-bomb

Anthony Albanese has responded to Donald Trump’s F-bomb after both Israel and Iran violated the US-brokered ceasefire.

Anthony Albanese has declined to weigh in on Donald Trump publicly dropping the F-bomb after both Israel and Iran violated a US-brokered ceasefire, stating he doesn’t think the US President’s comment “needs any further reflection”.

Mr Trump made the shock declaration after the Israeli military claimed to have shot down two Iranian missiles launched shortly after the ceasefire came into effect on Tuesday (AEST).

Iran has denied firing a missile and analysts have suggested it could have been a timing accident or a rogue unit.

Speaking to reporters, the US President blasted Israel for its response, saying the Middle East ally needs “to calm down now,” stating that Israel and Iran “have been fighting so long, so hard that they don’t know what the f**k they’re doing”.

US President Donald Trump says Israel and Iran ‘have been fighting so long, so hard that they don’t know what the f**k they’re doing’. Picture: AFP / White House

Asked for his response, the Prime Minister remained neutral and said the President had “made some pretty clear statements,” adding both Australia and the US wanted to see the situation in the Middle East de-escalate.

“I don’t think it needs any further reflection. I think that he stated his views pretty abruptly, and I think they were very clear,” he told reporters from Launceston, Tasmania.

“I certainly, as I said this week, we want to see peace in the region. We want to see a ceasefire. We want to see de escalation, and that is consistent with the very clear comments of President Trump.”

Anthony Albanese said President Trump stated his views ‘pretty abruptly’. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Trump’s furious criticism was directed at both Israel and Iran.

“Israel violated it too, Israel, as we made the deal, they came out and they dropped a load of bombs, the likes of which I’d never seen before, the biggest load that we’ve seen, I’m not happy with Israel,” Mr Trump said.

“You don’t go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them, so I’m not happy with them, I’m not happy with Iran either, but I’m really unhappy with Israel going out this morning because of one rocket that didn’t land, that was shot, perhaps by mistake, that didn’t land – I’m not happy about that.”

Asked about Mr Trump’s use of words on Wednesday, the Treasurer said he was “not going to quibble with the language that President Trump used”.

“I think it does reflect the gravity of the situation in the Middle East, and the importance of both sides adhering to this cease fire, which has been negotiated,” Mr Chalmer told Sky News.

“And so I think the stakes are very high in the Middle East, the implications for the world, and particularly the global economy, are very significant.

“And so I think President Trump’s language reflected that – far be it from for Australians to quibble with that kind of language, we are blunt speaking people.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the stakes in the Middle East are ‘very, very high’. Picture: NewsWire / David Clark

Iran defends ‘peaceful’ nuclear program

Speaking to Sunrise on Wednesday morning, Iranian ambassador to Australia, Ahmad Sadeghi, defended Iran’s right to a “peaceful nuclear program”.

“We have the right to use (a) peaceful nuclear program, including the enrichment for peaceful uses,” he said.

“Iran, although it has been for a long time in co-operation with IAEA and in negotiation with the different international bodies like Five Plus One and just recently had five rounds of negotiations with US Government, is still ready to go for the negotiation table again.

“We are ready to negotiate with them, but we keep our right for peaceful use of energy.”

Central to Israel and the US’ strikes on Iran were claims Iran was close to developing nuclear weapons, a claim Iran has repeatedly denied.

“We didn’t breach our commitments,” Mr Sadeghi said. “I don’t know what reference you are (making) to that. But with regard to the bombardment of our nuclear facilities, it was an illegal action raised by the US that we also defended ourselves and reciprocated based on our right.”

Reports on Wednesday morning leaked to the media from US Intelligence stated the US strikes President Donald Trump has said “completely obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities in fact only delayed Iran’s nuclear program by months.

These reports were strenuously denied by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt who labelled the leaking “a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program”.

Mr Sadeghi said he did not have “any exact technical assessment and estimate” on the damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“That is something that the technical teams, with regard to Iran and IAEA, maybe Tehran, have to find out about it, the dimension of the damage. The thing is, that Iran does have the right to peaceful nuclear usage.”

More to come.

Originally published as Albo declines to weigh in after Trump’s Middle East F-bomb