Albanese questions Iran war goals amid 'testing time' for Australia

Australian PM Anthony Albanese says it's 'not clear' what further objectives remain in the Iran conflict, warning of its growing economic impact despite Tehran's degraded military. His government has halved the fuel excise to ease costs.

Albanese questions Iran war endgame amid economic fallout

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday said it still remains "not clear" what further objectives need to be achieved in Iran, following claims by US President Donald Trump that Tehran's military capabilities have been significantly degraded.

Speaking at the National Press Club in Australia, Albanese described the ongoing conflict in West Asia as a "testing time" for his country, citing its far-reaching economic consequences, particularly due to the energy crisis in the country due to the viral blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. "This is a testing time for our nation. The war in the Middle East has caused the biggest increase in petrol and diesel prices in history. Australia is not an active participant in this war. We did express support for the original objectives, preventing Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon and degrading its capacity to endanger its neighbours," he said.

Albanese noted that those goals appear to have largely been met, stating that Iran's air force, navy, military-industrial base, and missile capabilities have all been weakened, in reference to Trump's claims of success of the US military operations against the Islamic Regime since the conflict began on February 28. However, he warned that the prolonged conflict is having a growing impact on the global economy, particularly through rising fuel prices.

"Despite its indiscriminate attacks across the region, Iran's air force is degraded. Its navy is degraded. Its military industrial base is degraded. And so too is its capacity to launch missiles. That is a good thing. And now those objectives have been realised. It is not clear what more needs to be achieved or what the end point looks like. What is clear is that the longer the war goes on, the more significant the impact on the global economy will be. Not just the price of fuel, but everything that relies upon fuel. Literally everything that moves," the Australian PM added.

Domestic measures to ease fuel costs

Highlighting domestic measures, Albanese announced that his government has halved the fuel excise for three months, reducing petrol and diesel taxes by 32 cents per litre to ease cost-of-living pressures following an agreement reached with states and territories to pass on additional tax relief to consumers by returning GST-related gains. "To keep Australia moving, our government has moved quickly. We've cut the fuel excise in half for 3 months, cutting the tax on petrol and diesel by 26 cents per litre. And this morning, importantly, we have reached agreement with the states and territories to deliver a further cut in the fuel tax by returning their GST windfall to Australians. This will mean a combined saving of 32 cents on every litre," Albanese stated.

Trump claims 'decisive' blow against Iran

His remarks come after US President Donald Trump, during his address to the nation since the commencement of hostilities against Iran in late February, praised the American military for a "decisive" blow against the Islamic Republic, claiming that the core objective of the campaign was nearing completion. The US President maintained that Iran's maritime and aerial capabilities have been systematically dismantled during the time and added that the country's broader military infrastructure has been severely diminished.

"Iran's navy is gone, its air force is in ruins, and its leaders, most of them terrorists, are now dead," Trump declared. Detailing the impact of the strikes, the President stated that the opposition's "ability to launch missiles and drones is dramatically curtailed. "He noted that "weapons factories and rocket launchers are being blown to pieces - very few of them left" and claimed that the United States is "winning bigger than ever before." (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)