Australia Defends Middle East Efforts After Trump Criticism

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Australia’s leader said yesterday it was not consulted over the war with Iran which was having a “massive global economic impact”, responding to President Donald Trump’s swipe the US ally was not doing enough.

Trump has urged nations to dispatch warships to secure crucial oil supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Although many have baulked at Trump’s proposal, the US president included criticism of Australia as he vented his frustrations over lack of British support.

“Australia was not great. I was a little surprised by Australia”, he said Thursday during a cabinet meeting at the White House.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia was in close contact with Gulf states under attack from Iran, providing a surveillance aircraft to help defend the United Arab Emirates, where many Australians live.

“There is no request been made to Australia that has not been agreed to,” Albanese told reporters in Canberra yesterday.

“I make the point as well that Australia wasn’t consulted before this action was undertaken. I respect that, that’s a matter for the United States,” he added.

The United States is Australia’s main security ally, and a partner with Britain in the trilateral AUKUS pact to build more nuclear submarines to counter China.

“We do want to see a de-escalation and we do understand that this war is having a massive global economic impact,” Albanese said.

War has engulfed much of the Middle East since the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28.

Australia made an early statement of support for the US acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Australia had “abhorrence” for Iran’s regime, Albanese said Friday, pointing to its expulsion of Iran’s ambassador in August after attributing the fire bombing of a Melbourne synagogue a year earlier to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

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