News and politics recap: Anika Wells says Telstra has ‘awful lot of work to do’ to regain trust

The Trump Administration should be thanking Australia instead of demanding more defence spending, a leading Democratic Senator has said.

Both the US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby have demanded Australia raise its defence spending to the NATO standard of 3.5 per cent of GDP by 2035.

The Trump Administration has successfully forced European nations into spending more on their own defences but have had less luck with Indo-Pacific allies, despite the threat posed by China, which last week tested a nuclear-capable missile from a submarine in the South Pacific.

Speaking exclusively to The Nightly on the sidelines of last week’s NATO gathering in Ankara, Turkey, Senator Chris Coons, who is the lead Democrat on the US Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defence, said Australia contributed more to the Alliance than headline spending figures suggested.

“Here’s what Australia does not get enough credit for, and more Senators and Congressmen need to spend time in Australia to appreciate this, percentage numbers are important, but so are capabilities,” he said.

“And Australia’s capability as an intelligence partner and as a development and diplomacy partner punch way above its weight.

“In the Pacific Islands Australia is the preeminent American Ally and partner and is pushing back against China’s active expansionism in a very effective way.”

Read the exclusive story.

Opposition Energy spokesman Dan Tehan has joined the governemnt’s rejection of Donald Trumps’ proposed Strait of Hormuz levy.

The US President announced plans for a 20 per cent levy on shipping through the waterway as a looming blockade on Iranian shipping nears.

Mr Tehan urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to inform the White House of the concerns.

“Freedom of navigation is an essential part of how our international waterways work and any long-term strategy or plan which would start to see international waterways tolled would be very alarming,” he told Radio National.

“We obviously need to hear more about whether this is now an official US government policy, whether it’s part of some sort of negotiation tactic to try and get Iran to properly free the waterway and allow international passage, especially of oil, through it. So we’ll have to wait and see what developments take place.

“I think they should be raising concerns if it does become the official position because the precedent that would set would be highly, highly damaging to our economic interests and I think to the globe’s economic interest if this then led to a further escalation of these types of tolling across the world.”

The US Navy has revealed when it will begin enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Axios, the US blockade, which will “encompasses the entirety of the Iranian coastline to include but not limited to Iranian ports and oil terminals,” will come into effect on July 14 at 4pm ET (July 15 at 6am AEST).

“US Central Command will begin enforcement of a naval blockade of all Iranian ports and Iranian coastal areas. All neutral vessels are hereby warned and have the period until enforcement begins to depart the blockaded area,” the Navy said in a statement.

“Any vessel suspected of entering or departing the blockaded area without authorisation is subject to interception, diversion, and capture. Non-compliant vessels may be legally compelled with force.”

Opposition leader Angus Taylor has defended his criticism of One Nation, saying his comments were made with a “heavy heart” despite accusing the party of lacking a credible plan for Australia.

In a speech last week, Mr Taylor said One Nation’s economic policies would send the country “broke” and described the party as a “column of smoke”.

Speaking to 2GB on Tuesday morning, the opposition leader said the overwhelming focus of his speech had been aimed against the Albanese government.

“The speech I gave last week... 95 per cent of that speech was against Labor and how they’re wrecking this country,” Mr Taylor said.

“I say what I say about One Nation with a heavy heart frankly, I say it with a heavy heart.”

When asked whether he felt conflicted about his attack on One Nation, Mr Taylor said he did not and instead questioned the party’s credibility and leadership.

“They do not have a plan for the future of this country,” he added.

“They are a one-person show. They don’t have the team. We had Malcolm Roberts in the paper today saying 9/11 was a false flag operation.”

US President Donald Trump has announced his military will unleash a new wave of attacks on Iran “tonight” and “tomorrow” as a blockade on Iranian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz looms.

During an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Mr Trump said: “We’re going to hit them very hard tonight, and we’re going to hit them hard tomorrow”.

Mr Trump’s announcement comes after he said on Monday he will charge ships for safe passage after another heavy exchange of fire threatened negotiations aimed at ending the war.

He said on social media that Iranian ships will no longer be able to travel through the strait and America would charge a 20 per cent toll on eligible cargo, as the conflict with Iran has intensified after peace talks failed to deliver meaningful progress.