Iran’s ambassador to Australia calls on Albanese to condemn Israel: ABC
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More news: During an interview with ABC’s 7.30 on Wednesday evening, Ahmad Sadeghi called on the Prime Minister to condemn Israel's strikes on Iran and denied that the Islamic Republic is working on a nuclear weapons program.
The Iranian ambassador to Australia described Israel's June 13 attack on Iranian targets as "unprovoked" and defended Iran’s response to the strikes as "its inalienable right to just defensive measures."
Sadeghi then called on Albanese to condemn Israel for the June 13 attack that prompted a wider conflict across the Middle East: "If you let it go unpunished [and] the prime minister of this regime [Benjamin Netanyahu] declared publicly and arrogantly that 'I ordered such an attack against Iran'.
"If you just let them go free, it has very bad consequences."
7.30 host David Speers asked if that equated to "condemnation," Sadeghi responded "exactly".
"We ask Australia, as a friendly nation that we are in the good relation with, they have to condemn."
Sadeghi was repeatedly asked to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist, which he refused to do.
Sadeghi also denied that Iran was pursuing a nuclear weapons program, with Speers asking whether Iran holds an ambitions to develop a nuclear weapon, to which Sadeghi replied: “Of course not. It has been prohibited by our Supreme Leader.”
Iran’s Khamenei threatens 'irreparable damage' if US joins war
The news: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that his country will not capitulate to Israel, despite US President Trump’s calls for an unconditional surrender, warning that any involvement in the conflict by the US would results in “irreparable damage.”
The context: In a statement read by a television presenter on Wednesday, Khamenei said: "This nation will never surrender to imposition from anyone. America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage."
“Those with wisdom who know Iran, its people and history, will never use the language of threat to address this nation because they will never surrender,” the leader said.
Khamenei’s comments follow comments from Trump, which called the Iranian leader an “easy target” and that Tehran must unconditionally surrender.
Evidence is growing that the US could join Israel’s bombing campaign, with US shifting military jets and ships to the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on the US to use its ‘bunker-buster’ bombs on the Iranian Fordow nuclear site, which lies deep underground.
Earlier on Wednesday, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that two Iranian centrifuge production facilities have been hit, confirming claims by Israel that it had struck the sites.
The IAEA said via X: “the TESA Karaj workshop and the Tehran Research Center, were hit. Both sites were previously under IAEA monitoring and verification as part of the JCPOA. At the Tehran site, one building was hit where advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested. At Karaj, two buildings were destroyed where different centrifuge components were manufactured.
Australian officials are currently scrambling to assist almost 2,000 Australians seeking help to leave Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories and Iran, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Wednesday, as the government monitors the “very dangerous” situation in the Middle East.
The numbers: Despite the rising tensions, Wall Street was set to open higher at the bell as of 9:30pm AEST, with futures tracking the S&P 500 and Nasdaq up 0.2% and 0.3% respectively. The price of oil dropped 0.4% on Wednesday to USD76 ($117.04) per barrel.
