Albanese denies rift with US, seeks ‘certainty’ from Trump on Iran war objectives
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The news: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called for clarity on the US’ ambitions for the war in Iran, telling reporters on Monday “I want to see more certainty in what the objectives of the war are, and I want to see a de-escalation.”
Albanese added that a de-escalation is in the global economy’s interests.
The context: Later on Monday, Albanese denied that the conflict has prompted a rift between Australia and the US during an appearance on ABC’s 7:30.
Speaking about one of US President Donald Trump’s initial objectives of the war, Iranian regime change, Albanese said that there has been a “change in personnel” but that the “structures of the IRGC [Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps] and the way that they engage is still largely in place, that’s clear.”
Albanese added that Iran and its capacity to attack neighbours has been “weakened” and that the country’s leadership has been “changed and that over a period of time, if you take out people who are senior, then that disrupts the capacity of that regime.”
He explained that he is now calling for de-escalation, repeating comments from earlier on Monday that the war has had a “devastating impact”, the effects of which will continue to be felt for some time, and that he wants to start seeing “repairs to the global economy.”
When asked by 7:30 host Sarah Ferguson whether this positioning marks the beginning of a rift between Australia and the US on the war in Iran, Albanese said: “Not at all. We have a very constructive relationship personally, myself and President Trump. That’s my job….The United States remains our most important ally.”
“Conflict always has a price and the conflict has achieved its objectives that were outlined at the beginning and we want to see, I think people want to see an endpoint”, Albanese concluded.
The sources: ABC 7:30 transcript, Albanese press conference transcript
