SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described US President Donald Trump's threat to destroy Iran's civilian infrastructure as not "appropriate" on Wednesday (April 8) but welcomed a two-week ceasefire as "positive".
Trump had warned that "a whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again" if Iran failed to meet his deadline for a deal.
"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," Albanese told Sky News Australia.
Albanese welcomed news that the United States and Iran had agreed to a two-week ceasefire, barely an hour before Trump's deadline expired.
"What we have called for is a de-escalation, and that is what has occurred, and that's a good thing," the Australian leader said.
"This is positive news. We've been calling for a de-escalation for some time. We want to see a resolution of the conflict."
Tehran said it would temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz and cast the ceasefire as a victory after more than a month of blistering attacks by the United States and Israel.
Iran has effectively closed the strait since US-Israeli strikes on February 28 sparked a larger regional conflict, causing global oil and gas prices to soar.
Australia, reliant on imported fuel and holding roughly 39 days' supply of petrol, has been hit hard by the global impact of the war.
Having initially backed US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Albanese said last week the original aims of the war had been met and it was not clear what more remained to be achieved.
Canberra has sought to soften the impact of soaring prices by cutting petrol taxes. - AFP
