Australia should press the United States to clarify its aims in the Iran war, Nationals leader Matt Canavan has said, arguing that Canberra has “clearly an interest in seeing peace” as the economic fallout adds to inflation pressures.
Senator Canavan said the objective of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon was “admirable”, but warned that discussion of regime change and support for anti-government movements had “muddied” the US-Israeli campaign.
“I think most of all, the aims need to be made clearer,” he told ABC’s Insiders.
“And I think the lesson of our generation – perhaps of all generations – is when you have very unclear war aims, it often gets very, very messy.
“We just need to, as a friend of the US, engage and ask to make sure these aims are clear. And we do what we need to do to resolve the conflict sooner than later.”
US election result puts pressure on Iran war
His comments came after US midterm elections in which Democratic opponents of President Donald Trump won control of both houses of Congress and a majority of state governorships, amid a record-breaking turnout.
Analysts have linked the result to rising living costs, which have been exacerbated by the conflict with Iran. Mr Trump has partly accepted that assessment, while saying he would still have ordered strikes against the Iranian regime if given the choice again.
Mr Trump has repeatedly said the conflict would end soon after launching joint strikes with Israel in February. The attacks killed dozens of senior Iranian officials, including former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was replaced by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei.
However, several failed peace talks have been followed by the spread of fighting into neighbouring countries, putting pressure on relations between the US and its Middle East allies and global oil supplies.
Cabinet minister Jason Clare said the US election result sent an “obvious” message that “most American want the war to end”. He said the sentiment was also evident among long-standing supporters of the Republican Party.
“The real question here is: what does it mean for the war in Iraq? Does it accelerate the end of it? From an Australian point of view, we hope so,” Mr Clare told News24’s Sunday agenda.
“We didn’t start the war but we’re copping it, just like Americans are.”
Mr Clare said the relationship between Canberra and Washington remained “strong” and was “deeper than who’s in the White House or who’s in the Lodge”. He added that Australia “can’t stop it”.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to meet Mr Trump up to three times during an upcoming series of foreign summits. Mr Clare said Mr Albanese had demonstrated an ability to form a strong relationship with the US president.
