US bombs Iran live updates: ‘Gross and unprecedented violation” Iran Foreign Ministry slams US bombing attacks

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has joined other ex-leaders, including Scott Morrison, in weighing in on US strikes against Iran.

“Israel is doing the world’s work in trying to destroy forever the Iranian nuclear weapons program and it’s good that America has supported its ally,” the ex-Liberal PM said.

​

​

Iran has issued a statement on X, slamming the United States after it bombed three of Iran’s nuclear sites.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran condemns in the strongest possible terms, the United States’ brutal military aggression against Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry said.

“The war-mongering and lawless regime of the United States of America is held fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far-reaching implications of this egregious act of aggression and heinous crime.”

Israel’s Defence Force has said it will carry out new attacks on Western Iran via X.

“The IAF has begun a series of strikes toward military targets in western Iran,” it said in a statement.

“Additionally, this morning, the IAF struck missile launchers ready to launch toward Israeli territory, soldiers in the Iranian Armed Forces, and swiftly neutralized the launchers that launched missiles toward Israeli territory a short while ago.”

Airlines will continue skirting significant airspace areas in the Middle East following the US strikes, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.

Its website showed airlines were not flying in the airspace over Iran, Iraq, Syria and Israel.

They have chosen other routings such as north via the Caspian Sea or south via Egypt and Saudi Arabia, even if it results in higher fuel and crew costs and longer flight times.

Speaking at a press conference in Perth, acting shadow foreign minister Andrew Hastie says the Coalition backs the United States after it bombed three Iranian nuclear sites.

“The Coalition supports military action taken by the United States to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, specifically the strikes today taken against the facilities at Esfahan, Natanz and critically, Fordow,” he said on Sunday.

“It’s very clear just 10 days ago that Iran was in breach of its Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations with a stock piling 400kg of 60 per cent enriched uranium.

“The only explanation for that was that they were moving towards acquiring a nuclear weapon.

“They couldn’t give the International Atomic Energy agencies any guarantee, nor could the IAEA verify that these this enrichment was being taken for peaceful purposes, and that’s why I believe President Trump today has taken the decision to strike those three facilities.

“We could never accept a nuclear Iran.

“Iran is a repressive, theocratic autocracy, and it’s a sponsor of terrorism as we’ve seen over the last few years.”

The United Nation’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has released a statement after the US bombed three nuclear sites in Iran.

“Following attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran - inlcuding Fordow - the IAEA can confirm that no increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported as of this time,” the statement says.

“IAEA will provide further assessments on situation in Iran as more information becomes available.”

Former foreign minister Alexander Downer says Australia’s response to the US action in Iran “will be defining’ and warned it would be a historical moment in relations with its key ally.

“Australia’s response to the US action in Iran will be defining. Australia should welcome US bombing of Iran’s nuclear program,” he said in a statement on X.

“We’ve been a US ally since 1951 as well as a consistent supporter of nuclear non-proliferation.

“The Democrats will have to change their rhetoric: Trump was never an isolationist. As Andrew Robert’s says, Churchill had to face the horrific decision to sink the French fleet in Algeria.

“Trump had to face the decision to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. Both terrible decisions to have to make but both had the courage to do the right thing.”

So far, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office have only issued a brief and carefully worded statement from a “government spokesperson”.

Millions of people are scrambling to get into air raid shelters in Israel with sirens ringing out across the nation.

The warning sirens are being heard across Israel and also in Jordan as rockets are being fired from Iran as a reprisal for the US bombing raids of nuclear facilities.

Greens Senator for NSW David Shoebridge has called for Australia to distance itself from the US in the wake of America’s strikes on Iran.

He has called for several “practical actions” to distance Australia from the US.

“Our government needs to distance ourselves from these US attacks,” he told ABC on Sunday AEST.

“The practical actions here are to start distancing ourselves from Donald Trump and his increasingly erratic and violent approach to the world.

“That means removing ourselves from AUKUS, not trying to double down on it.

“Removing those US bases here. The Albanese government should make a clear statement that no military base in Australia … will be used for this unfolding US war.

“Will we put Australian troops out of joint operations with the United States?”