US President criticises Australia for lack of support
Washington: As oil prices rose on fears that conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz could continue for weeks, Donald Trump has once again targeted Australia for not helping him in the war against Iran.
Describing Iranian negotiators as both “wonderful” and “weird”, the US president said it was Tehran, not he, that was desperately searching for a way out, and suggested a deal to end the war might not be possible.
“They’re begging for a deal, not me,” he said. “I don’t know if we can do it. I don’t know if we’re willing to do it. They should have done it four weeks ago… The reason they want to make a deal is because they got beat up bad.”
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed that the US shared with Iran, through Pakistani mediators, a 15-item “action list” that could form the basis of the peace plan. Witkoff said there were “strong indications” that Iran could be persuaded that it was at a “turning point” with no desirable alternatives.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar appeared to downplay the chances of first face-to-face talks this weekend. He said there was “unnecessary speculation in the media” about the peace talks and that in reality indirect talks were taking place through messages relayed by Pakistan.
The price of Brent crude, the international oil standard, rose almost 6 percent on Thursday (US time) to over US$108, while the average national oil price was poised to rise above US$4 ($5.80) per gallon; This has increased pressure on the Trump administration over the domestic impact of what Trump calls his “trip” to Iran.
The president again attacked the allies for not helping, and unintentionally criticized Australia when asked about British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s reluctance to help the war effort.
“[Starmer] He did something shocking. “He didn’t want to help us,” Trump said and continued: “In Australia, Australia wasn’t very good either. I was a little surprised by Australia.
“I wouldn’t say anyone is great except for five countries in the Middle East. We’ve never had a lot of support.”
Trump said the Iran operation was “minor league” and that he doubted any ally would support the United States in the event of a “major league” conflict. “And that’s not fair. And we need to remember that as a country.”
This is not the first time Trump has condemned Australia among other allies. He said last week that he was surprised that Australia, Japan and South Korea did not say yes to requests for aid, “because we always say yes to them.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia did what was asked, which was to help the United Arab Emirates with the E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft.
Trump’s latest remarks came after Israel claimed that it killed Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy Commander Ali Reza Tangsiri and other senior naval commanders in an overnight airstrike.
The speaker of the Iranian parliament, Mohammed Bagher Galibaf, who was interviewed by the USA, congratulated the pro-government protesters in Iran after the increasing demonstrations on the streets of Tehran.
According to X’s automatic translation, he said the protesters’ persistence “created the conditions for a historic victory for our beloved Iran” and that “no one can give an ultimatum to Iran and the Iranian people.”
Meanwhile, US news site Axios Reportedly Pentagon is preparing multiple options for a “final blow” against Iran, which could include the occupation or blockade of Iran’s key Kharg Island oil terminal, the occupation of Larak island in the Strait of Hormuz, or the capture of Abu Musa and other islands near the entrance to the strait.
Members of the elite U.S. military’s 82nd Airborne Division are deploying to the Middle East along with thousands of Marines. While the White House stated that Trump had not made any decisions regarding his duties, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the president just wanted to have options.
Republicans in Congress are increasingly expressing unease, accusing the Pentagon of withholding information following classified briefings about the operation in Iran.
Nancy Mace, Trump’s ally in South Carolina, said she would not support sending American troops to the region and called for Congress to be given “more say” on the war, although she has previously opposed such moves.
“The justifications presented to the American public for the war in Iran were not the same military objectives presented to us today in the House Armed Services Committee,” he said on Wednesday (Washington time).
“This gap is deeply troubling. The longer this war drags on, the faster it will lose the support of Congress and the American people.”
Speaking at a Republican fundraising dinner in Washington on Wednesday night, Trump told lawmakers he would no longer call the Iran campaign a war.
“They don’t like the word ‘war’ because you have to get approval,” he said. “So I will use the word ‘military operation’, which is what it actually is.”
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Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political correspondent in Canberra.Connect with: X or email.
