With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, world oil markets rattled and no obvious off-ramp to the hostilities in sight, both major parties shifted their tone rapidly.<\/p>\n
They are seeking to respond to public fears that fuel concerns could quickly become a fuel crisis.<\/p>\n
And what was once enthusiastic support for military action has turned to alarm.<\/p>\n
Early movers<\/p>\n
Anthony Albanese was one of the first world leaders to respond to the United States’ strikes on Iran, which hit missile infrastructure, military sites and key locations in the capital, Tehran.<\/p>\n
The timing could have been partly a quirk of time zones.<\/p>\n
But it did contrast with the United States’s strikes on Iran in June last year, when the prime minister faced questions for taking more than 24 hours to respond.<\/p>\n
Mr Albanese was clear in responding to the new war: the American actions were welcome.<\/p>\n
“We support the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent Iran continuing to threaten international peace and security,” he said.<\/p>\n
In the written statement, he dwelled on the need for regime change in Iran and hinted at the possibility it might happen.<\/p>\n
Two days later, in an interview with the ABC, Mr Albanese expressed that hope.<\/p>\n
“It is up to, of course, the Iranian people now to determine their own future,” he said.<\/p>\n
“We hope that what emerges is a more democratic and free Iran.”<\/p>\n
He was pressed on whether the actions of the Iranian regime \u2014 inside and outside the country \u2014 justified the steps the United States had taken.<\/p>\n
“Australia has had a clear position of supporting this action, and Australia has had a position of abhorrence when it comes to the Iranian regime,” he said.<\/p>\n
![\"Angus](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/402b622790f84fa80d36f1677fca92ac.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
At the start of the conflict, Angus Taylor said it was not a time to “sit on the sidelines”. (ABC News: Simon Beardsell)<\/p>\n
Opposition leader Angus Taylor went further.<\/p>\n
In a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter, welcoming the news of the death of former supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, he suggested there was more Western countries could be doing to help.<\/p>\n
“This is a critical moment for democracies and countries committed to the cause of freedom,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It’s not a time to sit on the sidelines, but instead, to rally together and act together to support a new Iranian government that is committed to its people’s democratic rights and seeing Iran take its rightful place in the community of free nations.”<\/p>\n
Early statements from close Australian allies echoed Mr Albanese’s, particularly on concerns around Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n
But some, like Canada’s Mark Carney, soon added that their support came “with regret” and that this war was another “failure of the international order”.<\/p>\n
Others were opposed from the outset, like the Greens, which argued the United States could not “bomb its way to peace”.<\/p>\n
Shifting stance<\/p>\n
The early enthusiasm in Australia marks a stark contrast with the sombre tones of recent days.<\/p>\n
The shift from the government has been somewhat gradual and came as fuel prices rose and the United States’s aims in the war became harder to pinpoint.<\/p>\n
United States President Donald Trump has expressed increasing anger at allies, including telling nations affected by the war to “go get your own oil” in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/12a2d5c00dd0713fc6fe18d0004625a4.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Donald Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with America’s allies’ response to the war. (Reuters: Evan Vucci)<\/p>\n
Mr Albanese opened his address to the National Press Club this week<\/a> with a call for the war to come to a close.<\/p>\n He acknowledged Australia’s initial support for the war and the original objectives of stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and degrading the danger it posed to its neighbours.<\/p>\n He said those aims had been met.<\/p>\n “It is not clear what more needs to be achieved \u2014 or what the endpoint looks like,” he said.<\/p>\n “What is clear is that the longer this war goes on, the more significant the impact on the global economy will be.<\/p>\n “This war may be on the other side of the world but it’s causing real pain here, for farmers, truckies, small businesses and families.”<\/p>\n Military analysts at outlets like the Centre for Strategic and International Studies say there is little doubt that Iran’s military has been degraded, like the destruction of its navy and air force.<\/p>\n Loading<\/p>\n But earlier this week, The New York Times reported that Iran still holds more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, which it estimates is enough for 10 to 12 bombs.<\/p>\n