Australian Foreign Minister calls for ceasefire in the Middle East

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Friday that the ceasefire in the Middle East is beginning to show signs of fracturing, urging an end to the conflict following the latest attacks launched by the United States and Iran. Wong told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the world wants the conflict to end for the sake of civilians in the Middle East and the global economy. “It is clearly starting to show signs of fracturing and we are witnessing sporadic conflict continuing,” she said. “The world very much hopes this ceasefire can hold, and grow stronger. The world wants to see this conflict end, not only for the people in the region, but also because of its impact on the global economy,” Wong said. Wong made the remarks as the US and Iran exchanged fresh attacks from Tuesday evening local time to Thursday, marking a new round of escalation. In what is believed to be retaliation for recent Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the US launched strikes against several targets inside Iran in recent days, resulting in casualties and infrastructure damage. In response, Iran launched missile and drone attacks on US military bases and facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Jordan.