Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dismisses questions about Donald Trump’s ‘unhelpful’ nation criticism

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has dismissed questions about US President Donald Trump’s criticisms of Australia’s response to the conflict in the Middle East.

The US President named Australia as part of a group of “unhelpful” nations withholding support in their strikes on Iran and efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The Prime Minister would not be drawn during a press conference in Canberra on Tuesday, when asked “what help has Australia failed to provide?”

“Well, that’s not a question for me,” he responded.

Mr Albanese reiterated calls for a “clear objective” from Washington for their joint strikes with Israel on Iran amid concerns the conflict could escalate if Tehran does not agree to a ceasefire deal.

The US President has issued an ultimatum to the Iranian authorities to open the critical shipping waterway or face military targets to civilian infrastructure in what he has labelled as “power plant day and bridge day”.

Despite Mr Trump telling his latest press conference that Iran “could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night” — Iranian state media has reported that Tehran has rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal.

“We want to see a de-escalation. We want to see a clear objective. The objectives that President Trump outlined at the beginning of the conflict has largely been achieved,” the PM said.

“I think it’s very clear that any further needs to have outlined what the objective is.

“We haven’t changed our position of calling for descalation.

“This is a conflict that is having a massive impact on the global economy, it is having a massive impact here in Australia, as it is right around our region, right around the world.”

The US president also singled out NATO nations, Japan and South Korea, while also naming France and the UK in social media posts.

“You know who else didn’t help us? South Korea didn’t help us. You know who else didn’t help us? Australia didn’t help us,” he said in the White House.

“You know who else didn’t help us? Japan. We’ve got 50,000 soldiers in Japan to protect them from North Korea.

“We have 45,000 soldiers in South Korea to protect us from Kim Jong-un, who I get along with very well.”

He had posted online “all of those countries that can’t get jet fuel” to “build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait [of Hormuz], and just TAKE IT”.

New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon had hit back much more firmly than Mr Albanese, instead described Mr Trump’s recent threats against Iranian civilian infrastructure as “unhelpful”.

“Unhelpful because more military action is not necessary,” Mr Luxon had told Radio New Zealand on Tuesday.

“We got threats from the president over the weekend. Any of those actions including bombing bridges and reservoirs and civilian infrastructure would be unacceptable as well.”

It comes as the NZ foreign minister Winston Peters is travelling to Washington DC for meetings with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week.

Attorney-General Michelle Rowland also reiterated that Australia’s position has been to call for an “urgent de-escalation” of the war in the Middle East and wouldn’t weigh into Mr Trump’s inflammatory comments.

“I think ultimately the United States will need to answer for itself,” she told ABC radio.

“Australia’s position continues to be that we call for an urgent de-escalation of this conflict. Australians and innocent people right around the world and in the region are being impacted by events that they didn’t cause, but it is having lasting impacts.

“It’s having impacts on our supply chains and causing real anxiety for Australians.”