Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie tipped ‘strike of some sort’ moments before Donald Trump confirmed Iran attack
A Liberal frontbencher made an eerie prediction moments before Donald Trump confirmed a US strike on Iranian nuclear sites.
Coalition home affairs spokesman Andrew Hastie made a grim prediction on the future of the Israeli-Iran conflict, stating that “diplomacy will probably fail” and we would likely “see a strike of some sort”.
Moments later, Donald Trump confirmed the US had “completed our very successful attack” on three nuclear sites in Iran, dropping a “full payload of bombs” on Fordow – a uranium enrichment site buried 90m inside a mountain.
Two other nuclear sites in Natanz and Esfahan were also targeted.
Posting on Truth Social at 9.40am Sunday, the US President confirmed the planes were now “outside of Iran air space” and were “safely on their way home”.
His comments come just days after he said a decision would likely come “within the next two weeks”.
Appearing on ABC’s Insiders on Sunday, Mr Hastie – a former SAS commander – said while he hoped negotiations would see Iran willingly stand down its nuclear programs and subject themselves to independents inspections, he feared it would escalate further.
“We have to take this seriously. Iran is a deeply ideological regime, committed to the destruction of Israel. The supreme leader said he wants to wipe Israel off the map,” he told host David Speers.
“I suspect diplomacy will probably fail and we will see a strike of some sort (in) the next two weeks.
“It will be tough for innocent people caught in the war.”
‘It’s sometimes better the devil you know’
Asked about the ramifications of the US involvement amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, Mr Hastie warned a collapse of the Iranian regime could cause “large-scale migration and refugees across the world” and a power vacuum in the Middle East.
“If there’s one lesson that I take out of Iraq and Afghanistan and Libya, be careful what you wish for,” he said.
“You know, it’s sometimes better the devil you know.
“Particularly for stability once those structures of order - as bad as they might be under a tyrannical regime like that in Iran - when there is no order at all and it’s just chaos, it’s a very dangerous situation for the people of Iran, but also the rest of the world.”
Acknowledging the US could not “pull up the drawbridge” and roll up decades of economic, diplomatic, and strategic interest, Mr Hastie said any decision was ultimately one for Mr Trump.
He also warned of the risks posed by Iran’s nuclear program.
“One thing is clear, if you’re Iran and you survive this conflict with your regime intact and the nuclear program intact, I think you’re going to move at best speed to build a bomb to put yourself in the strongest position the next time this happens,” he said.
“Who knows how they would use a nuclear weapon if they got one? It wouldn’t just be for Israel potentially.”
Mr Hastie also backed the Labor government’s approach to date, which has focused on calling for further dialogue between the US, Iran and Israel, while also condemning Iran for its nuclear programs.
“I think broadly speaking they’ve made it clear, Iran shouldn’t get a nuclear weapon,” he said.
“Israel has a right to self-defence. We want to see this war ended quickly. That’s mine and the Coalition’s position.
“I think Foreign Minister (Penny) Wong made that clear as well.”
Earlier on Sunday, Defence Minister Richard Marles said the government remained concerned over the prospect of escalation and continued calls for dialogue.
However he also acknowledged Israel’s “right to defend itself and we very much acknowledge 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 remained alert in trying to evacuate the 2600 Australians in Iran and about 1200 Australians in Israel.
“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, in direct answer to your question, and we normally have a footprint of about 40 people at the base that we operate out of at Al Minhad, that’s been raised to about 300.”
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.
Originally published as Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie tipped ‘strike of some sort’ moments before Donald Trump confirmed Iran attack
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