Anthony Albanese has brushed off US President Donald Trump’s latest comments bemoaning Australia’s response to the war with Iran, insisting Canberra has done everything asked of it.
Describing his relationship with Mr Trump as “very constructive”, the Prime Minister said on Friday he made clear “very early on that I was not going to comment all of his commentary on a day-to-day basis”.
“But I again reiterate there is no request being made to Australia but has not been agreed to,” Mr Albanese told reporters at Parliament House, adding that it was up to Mr Trump “to explain his comments”.
“But … I make the point as well that Australia was not consulted before this action was undertaken and I respect that it is a matter for the United States.”
Asked if being left out of the loop spurred feelings of not being obligated to help Washington more, Mr Albanese said no and that he was “not precious about these things”.
“The United States can make its decisions and it did so,” he said.
“We made a decision as well about what our response would be, and we continue to engage constructively.”
He added that Australia is “an important ally to the United States, but we do want to see a de-escalation and we do understand that this war is having a massive global economic impact”.
Mr Trump said overnight that he was “surprised” at the Albanese government’s response to the conflict and questioned whether Australia and other longstanding allies would support the US in the event of a larger conflict.
He made the remarks when asked about his relationship with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who he has also criticised for not doing more to support the US campaign in the Middle East.
“(Starmer) did something that was shocking,” Mr Trump told media.
“He didn’t want to help us … Australia too, Australia was not great. I was a little surprised by Australia.
“I wouldn’t say anybody was great other than the five countries in the Middle East.”
Mr Trump described the Iran war as “little league” and said he did not expect allies to back the US in a bigger conflict.
“So if there’s ever a big one, which I hope there’s not, but if there’s ever a big one, I don’t think they’re going to be there. And that’s not fair,” he said.
“And we have to remember that as a country, because we spend trillions of dollars protecting Europe, protecting the countries of NATO, they weren’t there for us.”
Mr Trump previously lashed out at allies, including Australia, for refusing to provide military power to help open the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has made too perilous to transit by targeting ships.
In doing so, the Islamist regime has cut a fifth of the world’s oil supply.
Australia has so far sent a surveillance aircraft, dozens of personnel and missiles to the United Arab Emirates to help defend it from Iranian attacks.
‘Really important contribution’
Responding to Mr Trump’s latest comments, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles defended the government’s response, saying the only request received by Australia from the US was “support for the Gulf states”.
“Which is, in fact, what we are doing, and that’s where we see our national interest,” Mr Marles told Seven’s Sunrise.
“We do that because of the relationship we have with the Gulf states but also because in the UAE, specifically, it is home to one of the largest expat populations that Australia has, and so it’s a really important contribution.”
Mr Marles pointed to Australia’s signing of a UK-led joint statement condemning Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz.
“But we’ll continue to make decisions based on our national interest. We will look at the requests that are being made of us by countries around the world, including the United States,” he said.
“We don’t have a request from the United States in respect to the Strait of Hormuz.”
Liberal frontbencher Sarah Henderson has taken a different view, claiming Mr Trump’s repeated targeting of Australia had humiliated the country on the global stage. She called the US leader’s comments “grim news”.
“This is the second time the President has singled out Australia. It is very concerning,” Senator Henderson told Sky News.
“And I think at this time of national crisis, the government does need to come clean with what engagement has been had between the United States and Australia.
“As I say, it’s quite embarrassing that on the international stage we have been called out as not providing the appropriate assistance to the United States.
“The US is our strongest defence ally, and so this is pretty grim news overnight from the United States.”
She added that Mr Albanese owed the Australian people the details of Australia’s engagement with the US, and why Mr Trump had singled out the nation again.
Trump ‘going to give us a recession’
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who dealt with Mr Trump during his first presidency, warned that the economic fallout from the war would plunge the world into a recession.
Mr Turnbull is a prominent critic of Mr Trump and has long called for Australia to become less dependent on Washington.
Mr Trump has in turn called the ex-Liberal leader “weak and ineffective”.
Mr Turnbull said Mr Trump had gone from being “one of the most eloquent and powerful critics of forever wars” to potentially starting one.
“He got elected on a platform of never engaging in those forever wars. And in my dealings with Trump, I concluded he was anything but a warmonger,” he told reporters.
“So I’m astonished that he has gone into this conflict with the Israelis because he’s doing exactly the opposite of what he told the American people he would do.”
Mr Turnbull lamented the “consequences to the world”, pointing to the OECD group of developed economies forecasting a surge in worldwide inflation.
“I mean, this could send the world into a recession,” Mr Turnbull said.
“I guess you could say he had a crack at it with the tariffs. Now he’s going to give us a recession with this conflict.”
He added that the war was “very ill considered” and “Australia and other allies are doing their best as friends by being responsible, thoughtful and considered and not just rushing in after” the US.
