Coalition, Labor diverge on support for Donald Trump’s strike on Iranian nuclear facilities

The Coalition and Labor have diverged on its position on Donald Trump’s strike blasting Iranian nuclear facilities.

The Coalition and Labor remain divided over Australia’s response to Donald Trump’s strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, with Sussan Ley and opposition home affairs spokesman Andrew Hastie backing the US’ actions.

While Labor have yet to overtly back the US strikes, Opposition Leader and Liberal front bencher promptly shared a joint statement stating that the Coalition “stands with the United States of America today”.

“The Coalition supports actions taken by the United States of America to ensure that the Iranian regime is stopped from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“While Australians will never seek conflict in the world we can never forget that the Iranian regime is a militantly theocratic autocracy.

“It expressly seeks the destruction of our allies, enacts extrajudicial killings of political dissidents and brutally represses the rights of women and girls. It is the Iranian people who are the victims of this brutal regime and we stand in solidarity with them.”

Later speaking to media, Mr Hastie, a former SAS commander said he didn’t believe the Iranian regime were capable of “good faith” negotiations.

“President Trump gave the offer of negotiations, and over the last two days, the Iranians have not taken up that offer,” he told reporters from Mandurah, Western Australia.

“The coalition stands in solid solidarity with the Iranian people. We regret the loss of life in Iran and Israel, and we hope for a peaceful settlement going forward.”

In lieu of a press conference on Sunday, Labor issued a comment via a government spokesperson acknowledging Mr Trump’s statement while continuing calls for “de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy”.

“We have been clear that Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security,” they said.

“We note the US President’s statement that now is the time for peace.”

The strikes ordered by Donald Trump targeted three Iranian nuclear facilities. Picture: IRIBNEWS/ AFP/ XGTY

Labor also faced criticism from former prime minister Scott Morrison, who accused the Albanese Labor government of not showing enough “clarity” on the Israel-Iran conflict.

“I think there’s been far too much ambiguity about this from Australia, far too much ambiguity, and it’s time for clarity,” Mr Morrison said.

“And the clarity is we were dealing with a theocratic authoritarian state that had sponsored an attack on close friends in Israel back on the seventh of October, and they have shown their true colours, and Iran is not a friend of Australia. It’s not a friend of Australia’s interests.

“We should be expressing no ambiguity when it comes to Iran.”

Former prime minister Scott Morrison said Australia had shown ‘far too much ambiguity’ over the Israel-Iran conflict. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

Mr Morrison gave his firm backing of Mr Trump’s decision to strike the three Iranian nuclear bases, saying the US were the “only ones who could do it”.

He said the move was done not to “oppose some sort of regime change”, but to end the threat of Iran’s nuclear programs, and were “totally justified given the threat that was faced”.

“This has been the most decisive and the most comprehensive action to terminate that threat,” Mr Morrison told Sky.

“This is not the place that President Trump would rather be. He has not rushed towards this and further, this is not about the US trying to oppose some sort of regime change, they have a very specific job here that they have undertaken.”

In the wake of the strikes, Mr Trump urged the Iranian regime to “make peace” or risk “greater” and “easier” attacks.

“There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days,” he said.

“Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight’s was the most difficult of them all by far, and perhaps the most lethal.

“But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill.

“Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes.”

Prior to the strikes, Defence Minister Richard Marles said the government remained concerned about the prospect of escalation and continued calls for dialogue, denying claims the government was trying to distance itself from the US.

However Mr Marles, who will travel to the Netherlands to attend the NATO summit where Mr Trump is expected to attend, acknowledged Israel’s “right to defend itself”, and the “risk that the Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile program represents to both the region and the stability of the world”.

He also said the Department of Foreign Affairs would continue to facilitate and communicate with the 3800 Australians stranded in Israel and Iran, who have been urged to monitor public safety information by local authorities and shelter in place when required.

“We do have civilian aircraft chartered ready to go in the event that airspace opens up over Iran and Israel, and right now that is the biggest constraint here, that both airspace over both countries is closed,” he said.

“We have a C-17 and a KC-30 which both can take hundreds of passengers placed in Al Minhad (in the United Arab Emirates), which is just outside of Dubai.”

Mr Marles said the staff at Al Minhad had been increased from “about 40, to “about 300”.

US President Donald Trump warned of further attacks on Iran if it doesn’t ‘make peace’. Picture: Carlos Barria/ NewsWire POOL

Greens Leader Larissa Waters said the US strikes on Iran were a “terrifying and catastrophic escalation by the USA,” and called on Mr Albanese to condemn the actions.

“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. We know that you cannot bomb your way to peace,” she said.

Greens defence and foreign affairs spokesman David Shoebridge said Australia should distance itself from the US’ actions, including withdrawing from the AUKUS defence pact.

“That means ending the AUKUS agreement, prohibiting the use of US military bases in Australia, including Pine Gap, from being used in this conflict, and clearly opposing military action by the US and Israel against Iran,” he said.

“Like every war, the cost will not be carried by governments, but by people, families and communities who face destruction.

“The impact of war is always inflicted on ordinary people. The Iranian people, who currently face oppression under the Iranian regime, are only put at further risk of violence and persecution by these US and Israeli attacks.“