Federal politics live: Wong says Australia supports US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities

International law experts have questioned the legality of the Unites States strikes. Andrew Hastie is asked if that is of a concern for the opposition.

“Of course … all the things will be debated in the coming days. But what’s happened has happened,” he says.

“And the question is, do we support the US in the air strikes? Yes we do. Why? Because we don’t want to see Iran getting a nuclear weapon.”

But he says he doesn’t think the strikes were “pre-emptive”.

“We’ve we’ve seen Israel under attack since October 7th, by the by Hamas, which is being sponsored by Iran, by Hezbollah, which has been sponsored by Iran, and by the Houthis, which is being sponsored by Iran,” he says.

The opposition was quick to support the United States’ strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities yesterday. It’s now claiming credit for the government’s own shift in language.

Speaking with ABC’s Radio National Breakfast this morning, Andrew Hastie (who is acting as the Coalition’s foreign affairs spokesperson) also questioned why it took so long for the government to provide an explicit endorsement.

“I’m glad to say that Penny Wong has essentially endorsed our position, and I’m glad we have bipartisanship on this,” he told ABC’s Radio National Breakfast. 

“I think, though, what yesterday demonstrated was that the prime minister’s flat footed … his instincts aren’t great on this, and he should have called an NSC [National Security Committee] meeting yesterday for an event of such significance.”

Radio National Breakfast’s political correspondent Melissa Clarke has reported that NSC meeting will take place this morning.

We’ve just received an update from Penny Wong on the number of Australians seeking help to leave Iran and Israel as the conflict continues.

About 2,900 people in Iran have registered for assistance with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, while another 1,300 people in Israel have asked for help.

Wong says the “fluid” and “serious” situation means it’s difficult to get Australians out of both countries.

She says the government is trying to arrange a facilitated flight out of Israel, should the airspace open.

“There are reports of
airspace being opened for a short period into Israel. If we are able to do so, we will therefore … see if we can get a flight in and out.”

On Iran, she reiterates Australian officials have been deployed to the border of Azerbaijan to help those who make the land crossing.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has continued her round of morning media interviews, stopping by ABC’s News Breakfast, where she’s reiterated the government’s support of the US’ strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

It’s a shift in language from the government, after a spokesperson stopped short of offering an endorsement of the strikes on Sunday.

She says it’s where the conflict goes now that matters.

“It is right to call for diplomacy and de-escalation at this point because we do not want to see escalation and a full-scale war in the Middle East,” Wong says.

Wong declines to say if the US has provided the Australian government with evidence that Iran was on the verge of developing a nuclear bomb, instead pointing to the public comments from the UN’s nuclear watchdog.

Asked if any US assets in Australia (such as Pine Gap) assisted in the strikes , Wong says “the US made clear publicly these were unilateral strikes”.

Liberals senator Dave Sharma also stopped by ABC’s News Breakfast. He’s a former diplomat, having served as Australia’s ambassador to Israel.

He’s asked what chance there is that Iran could return to the negotiating table and re-join diplomatic talks given the US strikes.

“We’ve seen the Iranian foreign minister is on his way to Moscow. Russia has positioned itself as some sort of intermediary in the talks. President Putin had a conversation with President Trump last week on this topic,” he says.

Sharma says he thinks if Iran can find a “face-saving” way out to end the conflict “but preserve some honour” it would take it.

“The question is, can the
Islamic Republic of Iran, the regime that runs Iran, absorb that and still maintain the legitimacy of its rule there?”

Nationals leader David Littleproud says the world “safer” after the after the US carried out an attack on three key Iranian nuclear sites.

“What [US President Donald Trump’s] done is a targeted, measured and decisive action, one in which we should thank him for,” he told Nine.

“You cannot have a regime
like Iran having nuclear weapons. We are a safer world for the actions of what Donald Trump has undertaken here.”

The leader also criticised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for his lack of statement so far on the issue.

“It’s been deathly silence,” he says.

Over on Nine, Foreign Minister Penny Wong is asked why the government took a day to support US strikes on Iran nuclear facilities.

“I don’t accept that characterisation … I am here talking to you now,” she says.

Pushed further, she said: “I think you saw a statement from the government yesterday. The deputy prime minister was obviously up in the morning [on Sunday]. And you have me today and I’m speaking”.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong is reiterating her call for Iran to come back to the negotiating table, saying can’t risk a full scale war in the Middle East.

“It’s obviously a very precarious, risky and dangerous moment the world faces. But and that is why you’ve seen, statements from world leaders, who have said we need to reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.

“That’s what Prime Minister [Keir] Starmer has said. That’s what the E3, that’s the UK, France and Germany, have said that we have to get to a point where diplomacy is operative because the consequences of continued escalation for the world and for the people of the region are so dire.”

She says the US has not requested Australia provide troops to support its operation.

“That is not being sought and I wouldn’t be speculating on that,” she said.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong says the government supports the United States’ strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Speaking with ABC’s AM this morning, she noted the locations targeted were specific to Iran’s nuclear program and the UN’s nuclear watchdog has said the nation was “accumulating highly enriched uranium at an almost military level”.

“The world has agreed Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon. So yes, we support action to prevent that. And that is what this is,” she told ABC’s AM. 

“The big question is now what? And Australia says, like so many other countries, we do not want escalation and a full scale war and we continue to call for dialogue and diplomacy.”

Donald Trump announced the United States had dropped “a full payload of bombs” on the Fordow nuclear site on Sunday, along with strikes on two other locations, declaring Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities “completely and totally obliterated”.

A government spokesperson on Sunday stopped short of offering an endorsement of the strikes.

Asked about the legality of the US strikes, Wong repeated: “I think we are all clear that Iran … cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon. So yes, the government does support action to prevent that.”

Hi friends. Welcome to our politics live blog.

I’m Courtney Gould, logging in from the ABC’s Parliament House bureau in (a very cold) Canberra, ready to bring you all the news as it comes in.

Let’s gooooooo.

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