Australia urges diplomacy as deadly Israel-Iran strikes ramp up and Trump weighs US options
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has joined demands for Iran to stop its nuclear weapons program and come to the negotiating table within the two-week deadline set by US President Donald Trump on Friday as he decides whether to join Israel’s strikes on the country.
But as the Israel-Iran war entered its second week, more than 60 Israeli warplanes struck targets in Iran on Friday, including what Israel said were industrial sites used to produce missiles.
Israeli personnel inspect the scene at the Soroka Medical Centre, which was hit by an Iranian missile.Credit: AP
Israel said it had also hit the headquarters of Iran’s Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research, which the US had previously linked to the possible development of nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, Iran condemned Israel’s strike on its Arak heavy-water reactor on Thursday, describing it as a violation of international protocols designed to protect nuclear sites.
“Any military attack on nuclear facilities is an assault on the entire IAEA safeguards regime and ultimately the NPT,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Abbas Araghchi posted on X.
In Israel, the emergency service said seven people suffered minor injuries when Iranian missiles hit a residential area in the south, causing damage to buildings.
Separately, Israel accused Iran of deliberately targeting civilians with cluster munitions, which disperse small bombs over a wide area.
And Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Lebanon’s Hezbollah to exercise caution, saying Israel’s patience with “terrorists” who threaten it had worn thin.
A day earlier, the head of Iran-backed Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, said the Lebanon-based group would act as it saw fit in the face of what he called “brutal Israeli-American aggression”.
Diplomatic efforts in the shadow of missiles
Penny Wong spoke to her US counterpart, Marco Rubio, on Friday, as Trump warned he would decide within two weeks whether to attack Iran, most likely by striking its Fordow uranium enrichment facility, which is concealed deep underground.
The foreign minister said Rubio had not requested military support and did not give her own view on potential US involvement, as she stressed that Australia was not a central player in the conflict.
“These are matters that the US will make decisions about,” Wong said, adding that she and Rubio had “agreed to continue to work together closely to commit to a path of peace”.
A man sweeps in front of the entrance of a building used by the Iranian Broadcasting Organisation, hit by an Israeli missile.Credit: Getty Images
“We want dialogue, diplomacy, and we want de-escalation, and we want Iran to return to the table. We want Iran to stop any nuclear weapons program. Iran has the opportunity to engage in diplomacy, and they should take it.”
A separate diplomatic initiative got under way as Araghchi prepared to travel to Geneva for meetings with the European Union’s top diplomat, and counterparts from the UK, France and Germany.
“Now is the time to put a stop to the grave scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that would benefit no one,” British Foreign Minister David Lammy said before the meeting.
However, Araghchi told Iranian media that his country would not hold talks with the US as it was a “partner in this [Israel’s] crime” against Iran.
As missile and airstrikes continued in both countries, Australia was forced to evacuate its Tehran embassy, making it more difficult for the 2000 Australians in Iran and 1200 in Israel to leave, with flights in the region remaining suspended.
Canberra has sent military aircraft and personnel to the Middle East to help Australians in case airspace reopens, but some people have resorted to chartering ferries and private armoured cars to flee Israel. Many in Iran have struggled to make contact due to limited web access during a 36-hour internet blackout.
Emergency workers at the site of Iranian missile strike in Holon, Israel.Credit: Getty Images
‘Extremely difficult’ situation
As several Australians expressed frustration with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Wong acknowledged it was an “extremely difficult” situation.
In a statement, Wong said DFAT would provide 24-hour consular support through the emergency centre, adding that the embassy closure was in line with steps taken by other countries, including New Zealand and Switzerland.
“We urge Australians who are able to leave Iran to do so now if it is safe. Those who are not able to do so or who do not wish to leave are advised to shelter in place”.
For those stuck in Israel, Wong acknowledged the forthcoming Sabbath would make travel more difficult, but said Australia hoped to “increase the number of people who are travelling out, if they wish to do so, by bus to Jordan over the coming days”.
But Coalition senator Bridget McKenzie criticised DFAT’s communication, saying the information flow from the government to stranded Australians needed to improve.
“It’s not hard these days to actually communicate via mobile devices, to keep people up to date with the latest developments. Even if there is no development, that sort of notification can often lessen anxiety in these types of situations,” McKenzie said on Sky News.
Trump’s two-week timeline
In a White House briefing on Friday morning AEST, press secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a message from Trump: “Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.”
Trump has frequently used “two weeks” as a time frame for making decisions, but has allowed deadlines to slide.
Donald Trump’s public flirtation with entering the war has sharply divided his base.Credit: Bloomberg
As Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh warned that US intervention could lead to “hell for the whole region”, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he trusted Trump would “do what’s best for America”.
“That’s a decision for the president to make, but I can tell you that they’re already helping a lot,” Netanyahu said.
The Kremlin warned on Friday that the Middle East was plunging into “an abyss of instability and war” and said Moscow was worried by events and still stood ready to mediate.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have both condemned Israel and urged de-escalation, with Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov warning that Moscow would react “very negatively” if Israel assassinated Iran’s leader with any support from the US.
Israel attacked Iran on June 13, saying it aimed to prevent its long-time enemy from developing nuclear weapons. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes, and insists its nuclear program is peaceful.
At least 639 people have been killed in Iran by Israeli strikes so far, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, including many of the country’s military elite and nuclear scientists.
Israel said 24 civilians had died in Iranian missile attacks. Neither figure has been independently confirmed.
with AP, Reuters, Natassia Chrysanthos and Olivia Ireland
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