Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: Overnight, Australia led a statement with a number of other countries: Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom, in relation to the protection of aid workers in Lebanon. And this is a continuation of our work with other countries to support international humanitarian law. People might recall Australian Zomi Frankcom, an aid worker with World Central Kitchen, was killed in Gaza. And as one of the things we have done as a consequence of that, is work with other countries on the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel. This is a continuation of that work. We thank those other countries for their continued support. It is very important, even in times of conflict, that the international community continue to assert the rules that countries of the world have agreed apply to war, and that means protecting humanitarian personnel, those aid workers, those medics, who go into conflict zones at risk of their own lives, need to be protected. Happy to take questions.
Journalist: This was released overnight, is the timing of the release of this joint statement, do you have information that aid workers were killed in these deadly strikes overnight?
Foreign Minister: No. We've seen peacekeepers Indonesian peacekeepers killed in Lebanon. We think it's important for us to continue to assert international humanitarian law.
Journalist: Minister, there have been conflicting reports this morning around whether the Strait of Hormuz is open or closed. What's your understanding there, is it open or closed?
Foreign Minister: I think the situation still is very fluid. And what I would say is that what commercial shipping needs is confidence, and as yet, we don't have that confidence. We want that confidence. We want the Strait open so fuel can flow.
Journalist: The Prime Minister is on his way to Singapore to shore up our fuel supplies. But isn't Singapore also relying on fuel from the Middle East? Can you explain what this visit will give us?
Foreign Minister: As I explained to Australians over the period of this conflict, the Strait of Hormuz might only deal with 20% of the world's oil, which is of itself, a big enough component. However, about 70 to 80% of it comes to the Asian region, and we are reliant on the refineries of Asia. So this has disproportionately, or substantially affected not only the global markets, but the markets we rely on. That's why so early on, the Government moved to engage with Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea, who are our primary suppliers of liquid fuels. The Prime Minister is in Singapore. They are our largest exporter, our largest source of petrol. Our focus is on more petrol, more diesel and more fertiliser coming into Australia.
Journalist: Sorry Minister, just my understanding is Singapore mainly gets its fuel from the Middle East. So you were saying it gets it from a source other than through the Strait of Hormuz?
Foreign Minister: No, I was agreeing with your proposition. Of course, Singapore is being affected, and they are also seeking to source some alternative markets. And one of the things we've been talking to them about, is how to obtain alternative supply. We have to do that in the near-term, but principally what the international community needs is for the Strait to be open.
Journalist: Some Australians may have seen a glimmer of hope after the ceasefire deal was announced. They're being punished at the petrol bowser. What is your message to Australian motorists this morning?
Foreign Minister: My message is, we know you are hurting. We know this has been a really tough time for Australian motorists, for Australian families, the price of fuel has hit household budgets and it is impacting throughout the economy. We understand that, which is why we have been calling for de-escalation and ceasefire for some time. It is why we welcome this ceasefire, and it is why we want the ceasefire to hold.
Journalist: Will prices soon ease though?
Foreign Minister: Prices reflect where supply is, and we want prices to come down. We are also realistic, and we know there is some way to go. We have to ensure that the Strait is open, we have to get fuel supplies through there, and that means confidence in the private sector. We also know we've got a gap in supply as a consequence of the war, which will continue to flow through to markets. And we know there's been infrastructure that's been damaged in the region. So supply is going to be affected for some time. It's why the Government is so focused on fuel supply.
Journalist: Overnight, the US said that Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire deal. What was your understanding of what the US signed up to yesterday, and what more pressure can be brought to bear? What role can Australia play in that? So bringing pressure to bear to push Israel and America to include Lebanon in the ceasefire deal.
Foreign Minister: I said last night, very early, that the ceasefire must apply to Lebanon. It should be observed by Israel and by Hizballah, and the reason for that is not only the loss of life. The reason for that is that the continued conflict in Lebanon risks an already fragile ceasefire, and the world needs the ceasefire to hold.
Journalist: Minister, are you worried about the potential enriched uranium that Iran might still have that the United States hasn't been able to get a hold of?
Foreign Minister: We know that Iran has had its military capability substantially degraded, its air force, its navy, its military industrial complex, and its capacity to launch so obviously, its military capability is substantially less now. The US continues to focus on how it ensures itself and the world that Iran can't develop a nuclear military capability. Thank you.