Australian Opposition Says Request for Aid From Gulf Nation Should Be ‘Duly Considered’

The Coalition says it could support requests to assist Gulf nations facing attacks from Iran, as the Albanese government weighs a formal request for military help.

Shadow foreign affairs spokesperson, Ted O’Brien, said any request should be “duly considered,” noting that support could attract bipartisan backing if it was judged to be in Australia’s national interest.

O’Brien said Israel and the United States were already carrying the burden of confronting Iran.

“And I believe, given the United States and Israel have been doing the heavy lifting in … everyone’s national interest …” he told ABC Mornings.

“So we’ll see what the government has to say. If it’s in our national interest, I believe they’ll have bipartisan support.”

He added the Coalition had already backed strikes against Iran.

Nationals leader David Littleproud said the opposition had requested a briefing from the government.

“We want to be constructive and get to a bipartisan position where we can with the government based off the briefings that they can provide us,” he told ABC Radio National Breakfast.

Government Weighs Request

O’Brien’s remarks came after Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed Australia had received a request from a Gulf nation seeking assistance against Iranian drone and missile attacks.

“We have been asked and we will consider in accordance with those principles,” Wong said.

While declining to identify the country involved, Wong stressed that Australia would not take part in offensive military operations.

“And we’ve made clear we would not participate in any ground troop deployment into Iran,” she told ABC Insiders.

Submarine Deployment Revealed

Wong also addressed reports that three Australian personnel were onboard a U.S. submarine that torpedoed an Iranian warship, killing at least 87 people.

She said such arrangements are not unusual and form part of longstanding defence cooperation.

The practice, known as “third country deployments,” allows Australian Defence Force personnel to serve alongside allied forces while remaining bound by Australian law and directives.

Wong said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, after consulting the National Security Committee, decided to disclose the deployment publicly but said the Australian personnel did not participate in the act.