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Iran war updates: ‘World Peace’ Trump says as Israel confirms Lebanon not included in US-Iran ceasefire deal

Max Corstorphan and Madeline CoveThe Nightly
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VideoDonald Trump has announced a two-week suspension of planned military strikes against Iran, just 90 minutes before his self-imposed deadline.

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‘CEASEFIRE’: Trump suspends planned bombing and attack on Iran

US President Donald Trump has completed a spectacular backflip, confirming he is suspending bombing and attacks on Iran for two weeks if the Strait of Hormuz is immediately reopened.

“Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE!”

“The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East.”

Israel confirms Lebanon not included in ceasefire

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that while Israel has agreed to “suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks”, the ceasefire deal does “not include Lebanon”.

It comes after the Pakistani prime minister said the US and Iran, and their allies, had agreed to a ceasefire which included Lebanon.

But in the hours since the ceasefire deal was announced, Israel has continued to bomb Lebanon.

The office added that Israel “supports the US effort to ensure that Iran no longer poses a nuclear, missile and terror threat.”

‘A big day for World Peace!’ Trump says

US President Donald Trump has declared it’s “A big day for World Peace!” in his latest post to Truth Social.

“Iran wants it to happen, they’ve had enough! Likewise, so has everyone else!”

Mr Trump added that the US will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz.

It comes after the President confirmed that the US will suspend bombing attacks on Iran for two weeks if the Strait is immediately reopened.

“The United States of America will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz. There will be lots of positive action!” Mr Trump said.

“Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process. We’ll be loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just “hangin’ around” in order to make sure that everything goes well. I feel confident that it will.”

“Just like we are experiencing in the U.S., this could be the Golden Age of the Middle East!!!”

Read more

PM’s message to Donald Trump revealed

Anthony Albanese has labelled US President Donald Trump’s Iran war warning a ‘whole civilisation will die” as inappropriate and “extraordinary” statements by a world leader.

The Australian Prime Minister expressed his criticism when welcoming a ceasefire between the US, Israel, and Iran, which is subject to the Islamic Republic reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate to use language such as that from the President of the United States, and I think it will cause some concern,” Mr Albanese told Sky on Wednesday.

“The potential of damage to civilian infrastructure in Iran was an extraordinary statement to make.

“We’ve said very clearly that the conduct of any conflict must be within international law, and that provides for making sure that civilians who aren’t parties to the conflict are given every protection possible.”

Read the full story now

Bowen recaps latest fuel station figures

Energy Minister Chris Bowen says while the number of stations without fuel is decreasing Australia was “continuing to deal with very high demand for diesel” with the issue acute in NSW.

Mr Bowen said there were a total of 221 service stations without diesel out of the 7,940 total sites in Australia. It equates to about three per cent currently without diesel supply.

New South Wales: In NSW, there are 124 stations with no diesel, which is down one from yesterday, and 27 stations with no fuel at all.

Victoria: Victoria has 40 service stations with no diesel and 28 with no unleaded petrol, representing around two per cent of the state’s stations.

Queensland: Queensland reports 30 stations with no diesel and 25 stations with no regular unleaded petrol.

Western Australia: WA has eight stations with no diesel, a decrease of 12 from yesterday’s update, and 21 stations with no unleaded.

Tasmania: Tasmania currently has seven stations without diesel and five without unleaded petrol.

South Australia: SA has four stations with no diesel and two without unleaded, with both of those figures trending down.

Northern Territory: The NT has four stations without diesel and four without unleaded petrol.

Australian Capital Territory: The ACT has four stations with no diesel and zero stations with no unleaded.

“The supply chain in regional New South Wales in particular, has been stretched as its sowing and seeding season,” Mr Bowen said.

“We have, with the industry, been prioritising getting diesel to farmers so they can get their crops into the ground.

“But nevertheless, good progress, more work to do to ensure that that fuel continues to flow to where it’s needed.”

Why Trump’s truce deal has the world on edge

Iran and the United States have agreed on a two-week ceasefire, sparking an enormous sigh of relief worldwide.

But no one should exhale too long.

The US President Donald Trump took his bombastic negotiating style to a new and worrying extreme in the process.

“A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” he said in a Truth Social, hours before his deadline to blow up power plants and bridges was due.

But the same post, which legal experts interpreted as an intention of genocide and others wondered if it could even be the invocation of a nuclear threat, also hinted at a breakthrough.

“Maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!”

Read more.

Opposition leader Angus Taylor welcomes ceasefire in US-Israel-Iran war

Opposition leader Angus Taylor says he will “work with the government” on efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as Iran’s de facto closure continues to hurt the global energy market.

“We absolutely welcome the ceasefire. We want to see it hold, and we want to see ships moving again,” he said, during a press conference in Melbourne on Wednesday.

“We want to see oil coming to Australia. Crude oil and refined products coming to Australia as soon as possible, again from the Strait of Hormuz.

“We will continue to do whatever we need to do to work with the government to support that outcome.”

Bowen speaks with Malaysian counterpart on energy security

Energy Minister Chris Bowen says he has spoken with his Malaysian counterpart overnight to increase cooperation on energy.

He marks the latest of several leaders, including Penny Wong, Anthony Albanese, Richard Marles and Julie Collins, to speak with Asian counterparts to shore up refined fuel imports.

“I spoke to my Malaysian counterpart yesterday. We continue to engage very strongly with our international counterparts, particularly in Southeast Asia,” he said.

“We’ve been very pleased that our counterparts have recognised their role in being a reliable energy supplier to Australia when it comes to liquid fuels, just as they recognise our role and our history as reliable suppliers of other types of energy.”

Australia is reliant on Asian markets for petrol, diesel and jet fuels, while many other nations rely on Aussie LNG.

Aussie journalist clashes with Bowen over ‘renewables obsession’

An Australian journalist and Energy Minister Chris Bowen have clashed at a Sydney press conference dedicated to updating the nation’s fuel security in the wake of the Iran war.

7NEWS Liam Bartlett had peppered Mr Bowen with multiple questions about his “renewables obsession”.

He also claimed the minister had “continuously rejected our approach” for a sit-down interview after sending 13 emails.

“Why can’t you sit down and answer open, honest questions?” he said, labelling him “hypocritical”.

Mr Bowen fired back, telling him to show a “little bit more respect for your colleagues” who were also waiting to ask questions.

“I’ve held a press conference every day. This is the first press conference you’ve been to ask me a question,” Mr Bowen said.

“Renewable energy is a secure form of energy. The Australian sun cannot be interrupted by a war or anything else. Solar energy has to travel 150 million kilometres from the sun. It doesn’t have to travel the 150 kilometres of the Straits of Hormuz,” he said.

“While we’re building that secure renewable energy, obviously, we continue to ensure that our most immediate task is energy security.”

Albanese, Wong issue joint-statement welcoming US-Iran ceasefire

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have issued a joint-statement welcoming the two-week ceasefire deal over the US-Israel-Iran war.

“The Australian Government has been calling for de-escalation and an end to the conflict for some time now,” they stated.

“Iran’s de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, coupled with its attacks on commercial vessels, civilian infrastructure, and oil and gas facilities, is causing unprecedented energy supply shocks and impacting oil and fuel prices.

“We have been clear the longer the war goes on, the more significant the impact on the global economy will be, and the greater the human cost.

“We thank and support the work of negotiators, including Pakistan, Egypt, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, in advancing de-escalation efforts.”

They stated that they wanted the ceasefire upheld, a resolution to the conflict, and for all parties to “uphold international humanitarian law and protect civilian life”.

Albanese labels China talks over energy security as ‘constructive’

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has labelled his conversation with Premier Li Qiang of China overnight about the global energy crisis as “constructive”.

“It’s certainly a very constructive conversation that I had with the Chinese Premier last night,” the PM told Sky in a special sit-down interview on Wednesday.

“It went across the full range of topics. I don’t go into all of the details of private conversations that I have with leaders, but it was a very constructive conversation.

“It was certainly a positive discussion about the importance of trade between our two nations.”

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