Albanese Welcomes Ceasefire Efforts Amid Ongoing Middle East Conflict

The announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to declare a ceasefire agreement.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on June 23, 2025. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has welcomed a proposed ceasefire between Israel and Iran, expressing hope that the agreement will take effect and bring much-needed stability.

“We do want to see dialogue and diplomacy replace any escalation. And President Trump’s announcement we very much welcome,” Albanese told Sky News.

It comes after U.S. President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on June 24 to declare a ceasefire agreement between the two nations, which was set to begin “approximately six hours from now.”

That deadline was reached at 2 p.m. AEST, though missile strikes reportedly continued throughout the day. Attention now turns to whether the ceasefire will hold in the coming hours.

Support for Israel and Palestinian Aspirations

Albanese reiterated Australia’s stance supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, while also calling for the protection of Palestinian rights.

“We want to see the right of Israelis to live in secure borders in Israel. We also want to see the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people fulfilled,” he said.

“What we say, we haven’t been uncritical of Israel where we believe that the actions have not been consistent. We, for example, continue to call for support for aid to go into Gaza at the same time, of course, as we call for the hostages to be released.”

Evacuations  Amid Growing Crisis

As the conflict escalates, the Albanese government says its focus is on ensuring the safety of Australians in the region. The prime minister confirmed 3,000 citizens wished to leave Iran and around 1,000 hoped to exit Israel.

“It has been made more difficult by what has occurred. There was a scheduled flight out of Israel that wasn’t able to be fulfilled because of the security situation,” he said.

“What we hope is that a more secure position, a ceasefire, will ensure that people don’t feel the need to get to safety.”

In addition to the grounded flights, Albanese acknowledged major disruptions to commercial aviation caused by regional instability, including impacts on Qantas and Middle Eastern hubs. He urged Australians to check the Smart Traveller website and heed safety advice.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed that Australian diplomatic staff had been withdrawn from Tehran due to security concerns.

“We were very conscious of the history in Iran ... and the advice to me—which I discussed with the prime minister and the deputy prime minister—was to ensure we got our people out,” she said.

On evacuation support, Wong added: “We have deployed people to the Azerbaijani border in the event that more Australians are able to exit through that border.”