Labor MPs alarmed by government’s quick endorsement of US–Israel strikes on Iran

Several Labor MPs privately expressed alarm at the Albanese government’s immediate endorsement of US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Those concerns were aired at a meeting of Labor’s left faction after the first February strikes, which triggered a conflict that has since spread across the region.

The caucus soon aligned with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, and the defence minister, Richard Marles. Ten days into the war, the federal government announced it would send a specialist surveillance aircraft and stocks of air-to-air missiles to help defend the United Arab Emirates from Iran’s retaliatory attacks.

Albanese said Australia would not take part in offensive action against Iran and would not deploy troops, while the Greens warned Australia could be “fully dragged into another US forever war”.

Australia

anthony albanese, labor mps, us israel, iran, uae, penny wong, richard marles, surveillance aircraft, air-to-air missiles, greens