Australia has voiced its support for the recent U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reiterating the country’s firm opposition to a nuclear-armed Iran while calling for a renewed focus on diplomacy to prevent further escalation.
Speaking in Canberra on Monday, Albanese said, “The world has been clear—Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon, and we support actions aimed at preventing that outcome.”
The prime minister pointed to Iran’s uranium enrichment activities—particularly the enrichment to 60%, far above the level required for civilian purposes—as evidence of its likely pursuit of nuclear weapons. “There’s no credible justification for enriching uranium to that level unless it’s for a weapons program,” Albanese stated.
His comments came in response to a recent report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which warned that Iran had amassed enough uranium enriched to 60% to potentially produce nine nuclear weapons if enrichment were pushed to weapons-grade levels. Albanese said Iran’s ongoing non-compliance with IAEA expectations had created an increasingly volatile situation.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong echoed the prime minister’s position during a series of media appearances, expressing Australia’s support for Washington’s actions while underscoring the need to avoid further conflict.
“We stand with our U.S. ally in its efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation,” Wong said in an interview with Seven Sunrise. “However, we urge all parties to act with restraint. The focus must now shift back to diplomacy.”
Wong noted that while the U.S. strike was carried out unilaterally, Australia was in close coordination with key partners and supports ongoing international efforts to bring Iran back to the negotiating table. She confirmed that Australia had temporarily closed its embassy in Tehran as a precaution, following consultations with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Australia joins Britain and other allies in urging de-escalation, even as it aligns itself with efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
