‘A line has been crossed’: Wong defends timing of Iran move
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has also been out in the media this morning, speaking to the Today show a bit earlier.
She first expressed her sympathy for the family and friends of the two Victorian police officers who were killed yesterday.
Then moving on to Iran, she says the expulsion of the ambassador and move to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terror organisation has been a “very substantial response”.
Asked why the government hadn’t taken this action sooner, Wong says:
We have diplomatic relationships with many countries, many of whom we don’t agree with. And the point is we have a channel for communication, to assert Australia’s interests, to deal with consular issues, to help Australians who are in trouble. So we retain diplomatic relations for Australia’s interests. I’ve said that before, but this is a line that has been crossed. These actions are unacceptable and that’s why we’ve taken [this action].
Key events
Luca Ittimani
Woolworths profits fall nearly a fifth to $1.4bn
Woolworths’ profits fell by almost a fifth to just under $1.4bn over the year to June, after costs picked up but sales barely moved.
The company said its earnings were squeezed after customers swapped from their typical purchases to cheaper alternatives, along with increased stock loss (theft and waste), livestock costs.
Customers also swapped towards online shopping, away from in-store, which drove up Woolworths’ costs, together taking its net profit margin down from 2.5% to just 2%, Investors will be paid a total of $0.84 per share, nearly half the $1.44 payout they received a year ago.
Amanda Bardwell, Woolworths’ chief executive, said the result had not lived up to the company’s hopes and growth was still slow in August.
Average prices at the supermarket in June were lower than they were the previous year, excluding tobacco, as had been the case each quarter since March 2024, Bardwell said. She acknowledged customers didn’t perceive that to be the case:
Our value perception has deteriorated as many everyday items have risen in price through a period of high cost-price inflation. We are committed to lowering prices where possible.
Big W, the department store branch, saw sales fall with clothing particularly disappointing, which the company blamed on warm weather arriving later in 2024 and staying longer in 2025, straining seasonal supply.
Tom McIlroy
Marles says he discussed Aukus with Hegseth in Washington meeting
More on the meeting between the defence minister, Richard Marles, and the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, in Washington overnight.
As well as talks with the US vice-president JD Vance and the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, Marles says he and Hegseth discussed critical minerals, investment opportunities and US-Australia defence ties.
They discussed the Aukus nuclear submarines deal, a key concern for Canberra in ties with Washington. Marles said:
I was pleased to have the opportunity today to meet with some of the most senior members of the US Administration, including Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio to reaffirm our commitment to the Alliance and advance our strong partnership.
It was fantastic to see Secretary Hegseth again, following our most recent meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in May.
Australia’s defence relationship with the United States continues to grow and deepen. We are seeing this across the breadth of our cooperation be it through our work together on AUKUS, US Force Posture initiatives, our recent bilateral defence exercise Talisman Sabre, or the growing ties between our two defence industries.”
Albanese questioned about the threat of sovereign citizens
Moving on to the shooting of two Victorian police officers on Monday, Raf Epstein asks Albanese about whether the government has taken seriously the threat of the so-called sovereign citizens.
The alleged perpetrator, Dezi Freeman, has been linked to the movement.
Albanese says the government has taken the movement and far-right extremism seriously.
Mike Burgess, the director general of Asio, has been warning about far-right extremism. We have seen that spread, and it is difficult to defend against individuals. We know that that is the case, that this person, Dezi Freeman, who remains on the run is the latest advice that we have received, has [allegedly] engaged in an attack in which two police officers have lost their lives, a third has been seriously injured.
Albanese says his heart goes out to the family and friends of those affected, and the police force in Victoria.
Iran’s motivations were antisemitism, Albanese says
Anthony Albanese says Iran had two motivations behind their involvement in two antisemitic attacks in Australia.
Speaking to ABC Radio Melbourne, Albanese says the motivations were antisemitism which he says is “very much part of the ideology of the leadership of Iran” and the second was to sow disharmony and attack Australia’s social fabric.
Asked whether this was a security failure, Albanese says it wasn’t.
This is a rather extraordinary intelligence success by Asio and the Australian federal police in today’s world where things are often done on the dark web, where you have encrypted messages, cryptocurrency transfers, you have a complex situation here, and it’s an extraordinary effort by Asio and the AFP to be able to trace the chain of command, if you like, right back to the IRGC, through to the people who perpetrated these criminal acts.
Labor living in ‘la la land of rhetoric’ on defence spending, says Coalition
Australia needs to up its defence spending, says shadow defence minister Angus Taylor.
The Coalition has pushed for the government to increase its defence investment, particularly following pressure from the Trump administration on all nations to lift their defence spending. During the election, the Coalition promised it would spend 3% of GDP on defence if it won government.
Taylor says spending must reach 3% of GDP to be able to pay for Aukus, and points out that Anthony Albanese hasn’t met with Donald Trump at a time when the US is still reviewing the defence pact.
As my colleague, Tom McIlroy brought you a moment ago, the defence minister, Richard Marles, has met with his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth in Washington, where Aukus would have no doubt been high on the agenda.
The government has committed to increasing spending to 2.4% of GDP by 2033-34, but Taylor tells Sky News it should go further.
It’s nowhere near what is necessary. It’s not even close, no one thinks it’s close … they [Labor] are living in the sort of la la land of rhetoric, not readiness. We need to have the readiness, the agility. We need to have the sovereign capability.
Tony Burke asked who his favourite celebrity couple is
On a much lighter note (because we all need a little bit of pop culture in our lives), Tony Burke was asked on ABC News Breakfast earlier this morning about the engagement of Taylor Swift.
If you haven’t seen the pics, there is a very large diamond on that finger, courtesy of now-fiance Travis Kelce.
The ABC hosts ask Burke whether he’s got a favourite celebrity couple – a difficult question for anyone, to be fair.
Burke, clearly very taken aback, says he feels like a “bad arts minister” and chuckles, before giving us a very safe answer of:
Not strictly celebrities, but I’ll stick with Albo and Jodie – that’s probably the safest answer!
Richard Marles met with senior Trump officials, including US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth
Tom McIlroy
The defence minister, Richard Marles, has met with senior Trump administration officials overnight, including the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth.
There was speculation on Tuesday Marles might not meet Hegseth while in Washington this week. He posted photos including the vice president, JD Vance.
So far neither Labor nor the White House have detailed what took place in the meeting. It comes as the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, seeks a meeting with the US president, Donald Trump.
Marles said he reaffirmed ties between the US and Australia.
“The Alliance between Australia and the United States is longstanding, built on our shared history of deep collaboration,” he posted on social media.
The Alliance between Australia and the United States is longstanding, built on our shared history of deep collaboration.
I was pleased to have the opportunity to reaffirm Australia’s commitment to building on this partnership with US @VP JD Vance and Secretary of Defense… pic.twitter.com/lZfR7NBFOx
— Richard Marles (@RichardMarlesMP) August 26, 2025
Michaelia Cash says Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps should be listed as terrorist organisation
The shadow foreign minister, Michaelia Cash, says the government should bring on legislation to change the criminal code to allow the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to be listed as a terrorist organisation today.
Tony Burke revealed yesterday the code would have to be amended to allow the IRGC to be listed – currently listings under the code only apply to non-state actors.
On Sunrise earlier, on a panel with Clare O’Neil, Cash was scathing in her criticism of the Albanese government, and said her party had demanded this action for two and a half years.
That is a pathetic response, Clare, two-and-a-half years ago we could’ve stood together and listed this organisation.
Penny Wong, Mark Dreyfus, Clare O’Neil, you were warned. The Coalition, the Iranian community here in Australia, told you this. This is the letter and you said no. You have some serious explaining to do today.
O’Neil said Cash’s accusations were a “rude and unworthy performance”.
Josh Butler
‘We have confidence in Asio assessments,’ says Wong
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has declined to say exactly what evidence Asio presented to make the assessment that Iran had directed some antisemitic attacks in Australia, but said the government had confidence in its security agencies.
After a round of interviews this morning, Wong gave a brief doorstop in the Parliament House corridors. She said there were no Australian diplomatic staff left in Iran, and reiterated “do not travel” warnings for Australians thinking about going to the country, as well as urging people to come home if they were already in Iran.
Wong said she believed there were between 200 and 400 Australians currently in Iran.
Asked what evidence the government had seen which informed the investigations and assessments of Asio to declare Iran as behind the attacks, Wong said she couldn’t comment.
We have confidence in Asio assessments. We have confidence in our security agencies, and we have acted on it, on their assessments. And I refer you to the answers from the director general yesterday.
Asked why Australia was targeted in this way, Wong said Iran had engaged in foreign interference around the world.
What is different about this … is this is orchestration of a violent attack. Obviously, we will continue to investigate the these sorts of issues, the reasons behind as well as the other lines of inquiry.
But I would make this point, this is unacceptable. We have diplomatic relations with countries with whom we don’t agree. We do that for our interests, but to have a foreign country organise a violent action on Australian soil crosses a line.
Burke rejects Iranian claim moves made to appease Irael
Earlier on ABC AM, the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, rejected Israel claiming some credit for the move on Iran, saying his assessment of Anthony Albanese as “weak” led to the action.
Burke said that was “complete nonsense”.
There was not a minute between us receiving this assessment and us starting to work through what we would do as a response.
Burke, like Penny Wong earlier, also dismissed Iran’s claim that the decision was taken to appease Israel.
We’ve taken this action because Iran has attacked Australians. No other country is involved in terms of that conclusion.
