Penny Wong calls failed peace talks between US and Iran ‘disappointing’ and urges resumption | Australia news
Australian foreign minister Penny Wong has called on the US and Iran to maintain a ceasefire and quickly return to talks after peace talks failed to reach a deal or reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Historic face-to-face talks in Pakistan that marked the highest level of direct contact between Washington and Tehran in decades appear to have failed after a marathon 21-hour first day of talks.
Wong said it was “disappointing” that the parties could not reach an agreement in Islamabad.
“The priority now must be to maintain the ceasefire and return to negotiations. We continue to want to see a rapid resolution to this conflict,” Wong said.
“Any escalation of the conflict will incur a greater human cost and further impact the global economy.”
US vice president JD Vance left AEST empty-handed on Sunday afternoon, saying he had not received assurances from Iran that it would not seek to restore its nuclear weapons-making capabilities before leaving.
“We’ve made it very clear what our red lines are,” Vance said.
Iranian state media said the US’s “excessive” demands prevented a deal from being reached and the negotiations ended.
The conflict in the Middle East, and in particular the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, is harming global trade supplies.
The Albanian government has repeatedly warned that even if or if the strait is reopened, the effects of the war would be felt for months.
On Sunday, finance chief Jim Chalmers warned that the pressure on households “will not go away as soon as the ceasefire continues or the day the Strait of Hormuz is fully opened.”
“Even after the drones stop, it will take some time to get the global economic show back on track, and that’s very important to us as we put together a budget,” he said.
“The risks are very high, and that’s why we’re approaching this oil shock and its aftershocks with a lot of hard work and humility.”
Infrastructure minister Catherine King said the success of talks between the US and Iran was the “best chance” of reducing fuel prices but added the government would consider additional help for Australians in the run-up to the budget.
Iran is considering charging up to US$2 million ($2.8 million) per ship to pass through the strait and sharing the revenue with Oman.
Shadow Defense Secretary James Paterson said he was concerned that reopening the strait could be a means of generating revenue for the Iranian regime.
“It is critical that the end of this conflict does not begin with a new toll booth for the Revolutionary Guard and the Islamic Republic of Iran to blackmail oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
“We therefore strongly support U.S. efforts to end this conflict on terms favorable to all of us.”
