Penny Wong: Australia could help defend gulf states against Iran

Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Australia could help Middle Eastern nations defend themselves against attacks by Iran while declining to back US President Donald Trump’s insistence that he play a role deciding the next Iranian leader.

Wong declared it was up to the Iranian people to determine who leads their nation as she ruled out any role for Australian troops in an offensive action in the region.

But in a new development, she flagged Australia could play a defensive role in helping protect nations in the Gulf from Iranian missile and drone strikes.

“We’ve had many countries which are non-participants [that] have been attacked, by Iran. You would anticipate as a consequence that we have been asked for assistance and we will work through that,” Wong told the ABC’s Insiders on Sunday.

“We will work through that in accordance with the position I have outlined, which is we are not participating in offensive action against Iran. And we’ve made clear we would not participate in any ground troop deployment into Iran.”

She continued: “We have been asked, and we will consider, in accordance with those principles.”

Wong did not go into detail about exactly what Australia’s support could involve, saying the government would be transparent with the public about any decision to provide military assistance.

Opposition defence spokesman James Paterson said the opposition had sought a briefing about any potential deployment of Australian personnel to the Middle East in defensive combat roles after Wong’s comments.

“Australia has a proud record of standing with our allies and friends in times of crisis, and the Coalition will carefully consider any deployment proposals in the national interest once briefed,” he said.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised on Saturday for attacks on regional countries even as its missiles and drones continued flying towards Gulf Arab states, indicating Tehran’s political leadership may not be exercising full command over Iran’s armed forces.

While avoiding direct criticism of Trump, Wong did not back his view that he should play a role in choosing who leads Iran.

Trump has said in interviews in recent days that “I have to be involved in the appointment” of Iran’s next leader.

Wong said that “the future for Iran and its governance, ultimately, is a decision for the Iranian people, and that’s not just a values judgment. It’s also a pragmatic judgment.”

“We have seen regime change being sought by external parties historically, and I think we all know that for there to be a sustainable change of regime, it has to be something that the people of that nation back and seek.”

Wong repeated her view that Australia was “not in a position to determine the legal basis” for the US and Israeli strikes on Iran when asked whether they comply with international law.

“What we can do is make a judgment about what is in our national interests, and what we support in order to keep Australians safe,” she said.

“What we’ve said is we support action to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and we support action to prevent Iran from continuing to threaten international peace and security.”

Wong forcefully rejected the idea Australia was again backing the US in a misguided military adventure in the Middle East, as it did by participating in the war in Iraq in the early 2000s.

“This is not Iraq, and we are not the Howard government,” she said.

“We are not asking Australians to fall to accept Australian where men and women being deployed into a ground war. We have made very clear – the basis of the decision and the parameters of our engagement.”

Wong said the fact Australian troops were on a US submarine that destroyed an Iranian war ship last week did not mean the country was actively involved in the war, saying it was not new for military personnel to be involved in such deployments.

“When they are deployed in that way, we always have arrangements to ensure that any personnel comply with Australian law, Australian policy and Australian directives,” she said.

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