Government Backs Diplomacy as US Weighs Iran Military Action

Coalition urges constructive engagement on domestic reforms amid Middle East crisis

Photo by Abed Ismail on Unsplash

The Australian government is advocating for diplomatic solutions to the Iran-Israel crisis as reports emerge that the United States has approved potential military action against Tehran, with both major parties expressing concern for affected communities while backing different approaches to escalating tensions.

Labor MP Mr Jerome Laxale told ABC's Afternoon Briefing that Australia should continue pushing for de-escalation through diplomatic channels, following Foreign Minister Penny Wong's statement emphasizing discussion over military intervention.

"What America does is a decision that they need to make," Mr Laxale said. "I lean on what the Foreign Minister said, Penny Wong, this morning, that we believe that the best way through some of these issues is through discussion and diplomacy."

The comments came after Iranian missiles struck Soroka Hospital in southern Israel, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare on social media: "We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran."

Liberal MP Aaron Violi, while expressing sympathy for affected communities, focused on the nuclear weapons threat posed by Iran's regime, suggesting military action might be justified to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear capabilities.

"The real question is, do we want Iran as a nation and the Islamic Republic regime to have nuclear weapons?" Violi said. "That's why Israel is looking to do what they're doing at the moment, to make sure they don't get nuclear weapons."

Violi emphasized that "the world would be a safer place if the Iranian regime did not have access to nuclear weapons," though he declined to advise the Trump administration on specific military actions.

Both MPs acknowledged the impact on their constituencies, with Mr Laxale noting concerns from his "very large Iranian-Australian community, Persian community here in Bennelong" who are "worried for their family over there."

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