Australia news and politics live: Anthony Albanese reveals Australia wasn’t briefed by US before Iran attack

Iran’s judiciary has announced it executed Mohammad-Amin Mahdavi Shayesteh on Monday for allegedly spying for Israel, as the conflict between the two nations entered its 11th day.

Officials said Mr Shayesteh was hanged for “intelligence cooperation with the Zionist regime,” the term Iran uses to refer to Israel.

More to come.

Oil has jumped on fears that America’s bombing of three nuclear sites in Iran will trigger retaliatory strikes on Gulf oil infrastructure.

The price of crude spiked 5.7 per cent in early trade on news Iran’s parliament last night voted to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping channel 39 kilometres wide at its narrowest point that is responsible for one-fifth of the seaborne trade in oil.

Whether Iran can do that is a different story.

Its military capabilities have been depleted, and the consequences may be too severe. US Vice President JD Vance warned it would be “suicidal” for Iran to attempt to attack oil infrastructure.

Read more.

North Korea says it strongly condemns the US strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities as a grave violation of a sovereign state’s security interests and territorial rights, the North’s state media reports.

North Korea’s foreign ministry said the United States and Israel were responsible for the current tensions in the Middle East born out of Jerusalem’s “ceaseless war moves and territorial expansion”, accepted and encouraged by the West.

“(North Korea) strongly denounces the attack on Iran by the US, which ... violently trampled down the territorial integrity and security interests of a sovereign state,” the unnamed spokesperson said in a statement carried by KCNA news agency on Monday.

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Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has issued a warning of “a risk of reprisal attacks” amid escalating conflict in the Middle East.

Updating travel advice on Monday in the wake of the US strikes on Iranian facilities, DFAT said the risk of terrorist attacks “can increase, particularly around areas where foreign tourists gather, embassies and other foreign interests”.

“There is a risk of reprisal attacks and further escalation. Protests and civil unrest may happen globally,” it stated.

“Be alert to possible threats, especially in public places or mass gatherings.”

US President Donald Trump has declared on Truth Social that the United States caused “monumental damage” to “all nuclear sites in Iran” following recent strikes.

Describing the operation as a “bullseye”, Mr Trump claimed the obliteration was so extensive that the worst of the damage occurred far below ground.

He referenced a satellite image — not included in the post — showing a “white structure” embedded in rock and shielded from flames, suggesting it had also been struck.

“Obliteration is an accurate term,” he wrote.

Australia’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have said they’re opposed to retaliatory attacks from Iran, revealing they’re worried about any strike back on Australia and allies.

“Obviously we’re opposed to any action against Australians or indeed against anyone else,” Anthony Albanese told a Canberra press conference on Monday.

Penny Wong said Australia was considering broader advice in the wake of the strikes.

“There are always risks not only from escalation in the region but also potential for risk more broadly,” she said.

“I indicated publicly this morning that I have asked my department to consider whether there are any… if there’s any alteration to travel advice more generally, which we will obviously make sure is updated.”

Anthony Albanese has backed the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities — a day after they took place — but it appears Australia did not know about the military plans in advance, nor had any involvement.

The Prime Minister repeatedly said the strikes were “a unilateral action by the United States” during a short press conference on the matter in Canberra on Monday.

“We are up front, but we don’t talk about intelligence, obviously, but we’ve made it very clear this was unilateral action taken by the United States,” he said when asked whether the Government had seen intelligence showing Iran was imminently at the point of developing a nuclear weapon or whether the Pine Gap signals facility was used to aid the attack.

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Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong have refused to answer questions around intelligence and Australia’s potential involvement in the US strikes on Iran.

When asked during a Canberra press conference on Monday whether or not there was any intelligence-sharing from shared Australia-US assets such as Pine Gap, he repeatedly responded to say it was a “unilateral action from the United States”.

“We are upfront, but we don’t talk about intelligence obviously,” he said.

“We have made very clear this was unilateral action taken by the United States.”

While Anthony Albanese has avoided questions about whether the US strikes on Iran breached international law.

During his first public remarks on the US action at a press conference in Canberra he was asked, “Can we clarify if you believe they were legal under international law?’”

But the Prime Minister didn’t directly answer.

“Well, Iran has an interest… an interest… in ensuring that there is not an escalation in the region and that is the incentive that they have,” he said.

“The United States have made clear their position and we continue to call for dialogue.

“Had Iran complied with the very reasonable requests that were made including… then circumstances would have been different.”

Anthony Albanese says he hasn’t spoken to his US counterpart Donald Trump since he ducked out of their scheduled G7 sideline meeting, despite being considered a close ally.

The Prime Minister held a press conference in Canberra on Monday after the US President revealed on Sunday AEST that America had struck three key nuclear facilities in Iran.

REPORTER: “Prime Minister, have you spoken to President Trump since the G7 summit?

ALBANESE: “No.”

It comes as the UK Government revealed it had been given the heads up of the strikes.