Australia and Germany “unequivocally condemn” Iran as Israel and the Islamic Republic trade blows, while the government warns Australians are “frustrated” by the “stop-start” conflict.
Iran and Israel agreed overnight to halt tit-for-tat strikes that reignited fears of a renewed all-out conflict in the Middle East two months after a ceasefire deal was struck with the US.
However, a lasting peace has proved elusive, with Israel continuing to seek to root out the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah from Lebanon.
In a joint statement from Berlin, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles and German counterparts Johann Wadephul and Boris Pistorius condemned Iran over the “escalation”.
Australia and Germany have condemned Iran. Picture: Adri Salido/Getty Images
“Against the backdrop of expanding conflict and escalating humanitarian impacts in the Middle East, Australia and Germany called on all parties to uphold international law and protect civilian life,” the statement said.
“Ministers unequivocally condemned Iran’s dangerous escalations, particularly in and around the Strait of Hormuz, its attacks against merchant vessels, and threats of further attacks.
“They recognised the severe disruptions to the global economy and supply chains and reaffirmed their shared commitment to open markets and rules-based trade in energy resources, liquid fuels, and downstream commodities.”
The ministers reiterated support for a “diplomatic resolution to the conflict” and urged Iran to “immediately and unconditionally” restore free, safe, and toll-free passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
It comes as Assistant Immigration Minister Matt Thistlewaite warned the ceasefire between Israel and Iran remained “fragile”.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong met with her German counterpart in Berlin. Picture: Martin Ollman/NewsWire
“I think that Australians are becoming increasingly frustrated with the stop-start nature of this conflict and the fact that the Strait of Hormuz still largely remains closed to shipping and that’s having a dramatic impact on Australia’s domestic markets, particularly the fuel market,” he told ABC Radio National.
“And, it’s now starting to flow through to household goods like food and groceries, and obviously that’s had an effect on inflation.
“So, we want to see this conflict brought to an end quickly as possible. We want this temporary ceasefire to become a permanent.”
Israel continues attack on Lebanon
Mr Thistlewaite said there had been “continual dialogue” with Israels ambassador Hillel Newman over the importance of Lebanon’s territorial integrity after Israeli troops launched the deepest incursion into Lebanon in almost 30 years.
He said discussions included Israel “ceasing the incursions that the Israeli Defence Force has had into southern Lebanon and, more broadly, calling on Israel to abide by the ceasefire conditions and to negotiate a lasting outcome”.
“The only way we’re going to get peace in the Middle East is if there’s a lasting two-state solution that’s put in place, in accordance with the policy that our government’s adopted, that’s reinforced through the United Nations,” he said.
“Until we can say that the parties are willing to look to negotiate something like that, it makes it very difficult for this conflict to come to an end.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced pressure from Donald Trump to cease attacks on Iran. Picture: Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP
Mr Thistlewaite dismissed following Italy’s lead by establishing an independent probe into allegations of sexual assault and mistreatment of an activist flotilla detained while en route to Gaza that included a number of Australians.
Israel has denied the allegations.
More than 3600 Lebanese have been killed and at least one million displaced since Hezbollah entered the Iran war on March 2, prompting retaliatory action from Israel with whom the group had fought an earlier war in 2024.
Israel and Lebanon are separately in talks for a lasting peace decades after Israel troops marched as far north as the capital Beirut amid the chaos of the Lebanese Civil War in an effort to root out the Palestine Liberation Organisation and ensure Lebanon had a government friendly to Tel Aviv.
Hezbollah, which came to prominence in its fight to end Israel’s decade-long occupation of southern Lebanon, has denied it is covered by agreements between Beirut and Tel Aviv.
