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US-Iran war as it happened: Trump says war ‘nearing completion’ in national address; ceasefire claims denied by Iran; PM pledges $1b for businesses

Daniel Lo Surdo, Sarah McPhee and Angus Delaney
Updated ,first published

Key Posts

Analysis: Taylor’s speech barely different to Albanese’s
Watch: Angus Taylor’s address to Australians
Iran-back militants may attack Baghdad in next 24 hours: US embassy
Analysis: Trump’s address retail friendly but light on detail
Albanese says Trump’s end point ‘not clear’
More bowser relief on the way
Investors unimpressed by Trump’s address
US to hit Iran ‘extremely hard in the next two to three weeks’
Pinned post from 5.00am on Apr 2, 2026
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What we covered today

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Thank you for reading our rolling coverage of the war in the Middle East. Our live blog has closed for the day, but will return tomorrow.

Here’s what we covered today:

  • Australians will get a total of 32¢ off the price of every litre of fuel, after the states and territories agreed on a deal to further reduce the excise using GST windfalls. The 5.7¢ cut adds to the already enacted 26.3¢ reduction, and will continue until June 30. It follows Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s address to the nation last night, urging Australians to go about the Easter weekend as normal.
  • Following Albanese’s address, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has delivered his own message to the public. He was critical of Labor’s response to the fuel crisis and said Australia should start extracting more oil and become less reliant on importing.
  • US President Donald Trump claimed American objectives were “nearing completion” in Iran, in a national address in which he promised to hit the Islamic Republic “extremely hard” and called a slain Iranian military officer an “evil genius”.
  • The US embassy in Iraq has warned that Iran-aligned Iraqi militants “may intend” to attack central Baghdad in the next 24 to 48 hours, and urged any remaining Americans to flee.
  • Albanese cast doubt over what purpose a continued war in Iran would achieve, after successful initial strikes. Albanese said Australia supported the United States’ early attack on Iran, which it said were to prevent Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon, but said the ongoing war was hurting Australians domestically.

Latest Posts

Analysis: Taylor’s speech barely different to Albanese’s

By Rob Harris

For a man who said Anthony Albanese wasted the nation’s time, Angus Taylor was very keen to borrow some of it.

Same hour, similar stage, but this time just the ABC – not the commercial networks. A relief for fans of Millionaire Hot Seat and Home & Away that there was no delay at 7pm.

The ABC’s long-standing rule – prime minister gets the mic, opposition gets a “comparable” reply – has hosted its share of heavyweights: John Howard and Simon Crean on Iraq; Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott on carbon tax; Paul Keating and John Hewson on native title; and Albanese replying to Scott Morrison in the early, anxious days of COVID.

History, in other words. But this felt slightly more like a sequel for which nobody asked.

Why the ABC must broadcast Taylor’s entire speech

By Angus Delaney and Calum Jaspan

At 7pm, the ABC will broadcast Opposition Leader Angus Taylor’s speech in full, in alignment with its protocol to allow both major parties a platform.

“The ABC has a standard protocol when approached by the government to broadcast a national address by the prime minster, which also sets out that we will make a ‘comparable’ offer to the opposition leader,” an ABC spokesperson said.

Then prime minister Scott Morrison addressed the nation in 2020 on the COVID-19 pandemic.

This precedent extends to 1982. Anthony Albanese had right of reply to Scott Morrison’s March 2020 address on COVID-19.

In 2011, after Julia Gillard delivered an address on carbon pollution and the need for a greener future, Tony Abbott broadcast a response.

In 2003, John Howard broadcast a speech about the Iraq war. The following day, then-opposition leader Simon Crean gave his own speech, carried by the ABC.

Read Taylor’s speech in full

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Below is a transcript of Opposition Leader Angus Taylor’s full speech.

“To Australians watching, thank you for your time.

“The fuel crisis we face began about five weeks ago, and Australians deserve two things in this difficult period. You deserve clarity and leadership. Regrettably, both have been absent from our government.

“Initially, the government denied there was a crisis, and then after admitting there was a problem, it failed to act with urgency. The only thing the government has fuelled is confusion.

“Yes, the government deserves credit for adopting the Coalition’s policy to slash the fuel tax, even if it did so belatedly.

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Australia worth fighting for, says Taylor

By Angus Delaney

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has ended his speech by saying Australia is worth fighting for and that stronger leadership can protect our way of life, echoing Australia-first comments he made throughout.

“I say to Australians, decline is not inevitable, damage is not irreparable,” he said.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor.Alex Ellinghausen

“With courageous leadership, we can protect our way of life. With strong leadership, we can restore our standard leadership, and with inspired leadership, we can rediscover confidence in ourselves at a time when we must look after ourselves and put Australia first.

“Because Australia is worth fighting for now more than ever.”

The three things Taylor wants Labor to do

By Angus Delaney

In his speech, Angus Taylor called on Labor and Anthony Albanese to do three things to assist the public during the fuel crisis and war in the Middle East.

These are the opposition leader’s priorities:

“First, he must outline how he is going to get fuel to where it’s needed in the short term.

“Second, the prime minister must develop a proper longer-term plan, so Australia never finds itself in this position again. We must unlock the full potential of our natural resources by fast-tracking exploration and projects across the country. We must dig and we must drill. We need more Australian oil for Australians. We have the resources beneath our feet to secure our future.

“Third, the prime minister and treasurer must use the upcoming budget not just to respond to this crisis but to set our country up for the future. The bigger task ahead is to rebuild an economy that is resilient, competitive and capable of delivering rising living standards.”

Taylor critical of Labor’s response to fuel crisis

By Angus Delaney

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor began his speech by criticising Labor’s response to the fuel crisis, and said the government had not given Australians the clarity or leadership they deserved.

“Initially, the government denied there was a crisis, and then after admitting there was a problem, it failed to act with urgency,” Taylor said. “The only thing the government has fuelled is confusion.”

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor (centre) used the opening lines of his speech to criticise Labor’s response to the fuel crisis. Alex Ellinghausen

He added that the government deserved credit for halving the fuel excise, despite it first being a Coalition policy adopted “belatedly”.

Continuing on the offensive, Taylor said Albanese had failed to provide any detail or answers to Australians in his speech last night.

“Unlike the prime minister, I’m not going to talk down to you,” Taylor said.

“Almost all Australians will do the right and responsible things in these crises. We are a compassionate people with mateship at our core.”

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Watch: Angus Taylor’s address to Australians

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Following Prime Minster Anthony Albanese’s address to Australians last night, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has delivered his own message for the nation.

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Asian nations vie for leverage to reopen strait

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Countries across Asia are jockeying for leverage and adopting splintering approaches as they respond to US President Donald Trump’s call to open the Strait of Hormuz by themselves, amid mounting economic disruptions.

As the conflict enters its second month, governments from India to the Philippines are negotiating with Iran for the safe passage of vessels, while forming small circles to seek a diplomatic solution – and even bartering deals.

President Donald Trump addresses Americans about the Iran war from the White House. AP

Some US allies such as Japan are looking at a 35-country effort led by London to restore freedom of navigation to a waterway that weeks ago handled about a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade.

Other countries, such as Pakistan and China, are proposing their own plans for peace, as the Islamic Republic keeps a tight grip over the shipping artery. Trump suggested in a rare address to his nation today that trade would get easier in the coming weeks, claiming the strait would open “naturally” so the Iranian regime could sell more oil.

Following Trump’s earlier suggestion the war could end with the waterway closed, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will chair a virtual meeting on Thursday with counterparts from countries including France, Canada and the United Arab Emirates to discuss a plan for opening the strait. Other US partners including Japan, South Korea and Australia are expected to join.

Bloomberg

Australia faces recession if US escalates war

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US President Donald Trump’s threat to send Iran “back to the Stone Ages” (sic) has rattled equity markets. If he follows through, Australia is at risk of entering a recession.

In a prolonged war scenario, modelled by Oxford Economics Australia, the nation’s gross domestic product would contract 0.3 per cent in the June quarter and fall a further 0.8 per cent in the three months to September.

That would be Australia’s sharpest economic slowdown, excluding COVID-19, since the early 1990s.

Oxford Economics’ baseline forecast is for the war to last two months, meaning the Strait of Hormuz would reopen to ships carrying oil, gas, fertiliser and other crucial commodities at the end of April.

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Shares dip after Trump ramps up Iran threats

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Australian shares have tumbled and oil is surging, after US President Donald Trump threatened to send Iran “back to the Stone Ages” (sic) while declaring his military campaign nearly complete.

The S&P/ASX200 reversed early gains to end 92.3 points lower on Friday, down 1.06 per cent, to 8579.5.

The ASX fell after Trump’s speech failed to impress global investors. Louie Douvis

The retreat came after Trump used a prime-time address to announce the Iran conflict would end soon, but not before the US ramped up its attacks, including on energy infrastructure if no deal was reached.

He offered no plan to reopen the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, instead suggesting nations dependent on oil moved through it buy US crude or “take” the strait themselves.

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