US-Iran war updates: Trump’s terrifying threat to Iran, Albanese speaks after fuel crisis Cabinet meeting

Opposition leader Angus Taylor said it was imperative that fuel supplies got to critical sectors like trucking and agriculture as well as regional areas who were already reporting that local service stations had dried up.

He accused Mr Bowen of being too late to act on the issue after the war broke out on February 28 after the US and Israel led joint strikes on Iran.

The military action had led to the closure to Western vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, an about 30km stretch of water where more than 20 per cent of the world’s oil passes through.

“This is a minister who has been asleep at the wheel,” he said.

“We’re hearing about businesses, farmers and truckies. These businesses are the engine room of our economy. They’re deeply concerned about shortages.

“Farmers have got to get their plants off and plants in. Short windows, you can’t miss those windows.

“The government’s not on top of it.”

WA Premier Roger Cook announced Wheatbelt Development Commission chief executive Rob Cossart as a “Fuel Security State Controller” on Thursday.

Mr Cossart will lead a State Management Team made up of public sector leaders across key government agencies.

Mr Cook said he would be “laser focused” on addressing fuel security challenges and working closely with the Commonwealth in the State’s best interest.

“I thank the Prime Minister for convening the meeting of National Cabinet, which was an important step forward to drive national co-ordination between the Commonwealth and the states and territories on fuel security and fuel supply,” Mr Cook said.

NSW Premier Chris Minns told Parliament on Thursday that dozens of stations across his State were reporting issues obtaining fuel.

“As it stands today, we are seeing signs of around 80 petrol stations, primarily independent petrol stations, that don’t have access to diesel, and around half that number don’t have access to any fuel,” he told Parliament.

He welcomed the ACCC’s investigation into any abuse of market power, questioning how some smaller stations weren’t able to secure fuel amid a steady flow.

“There should be enough fuel. There’s been no cancellations of inbound fuel transports,” he said.

“There’s been an increase in the fuel reserve for the domestic market, and the sulphur content has been relaxed for increased consumption.

“We won’t allow and must be vigilant against price gouging up and down the supply chain.”

Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen has said the Australian government is following through on its promise to release fuel reserves.

“An additional 519 million litres of petrol and diesel is being directed into regional Australia,” he said on Thursday, which equates to four additional days worth of diesel and three of petrol.

“The Commonwealth’s role is securing fuel supply, we will now keep working with the states to get our petrol and diesel into the communities that need it.

“I’m working directly with industry to get more petrol and diesel out the door.”

Mr Bowen had late last week moved to unlock up to 762 million litres of petrol and diesel from emergency reserves to meet regional demand to help ease chokepoints, particularly in regional communities.

State body QatarEnergy says several liquid natural gas facilities have been hit by missile attacks.

The latest attack comes after an earlier strike on Ras Laffan, which is the nation’s main LNG production site.

Qatar says the strikes have caused “sizeable fires” and extensive damage but no casualties have been reported.

Emergency teams have been deployed to the scene.

Aviation giant Cathay Pacific has suspended all flights to and from Dubai due to the conflict in the Middle East.

The Hong Kong company typically operates flights from Perth, Melbourne and Sydney to the UAE city.

“In view of the developing situation in the Middle East, all Cathay Pacific flights to and from Dubai have been cancelled up to and including 30 April 2026,” the company said in a statement.

The airline also warned travellers that further changes to flights “may be needed” in the coming days.

The former director of the United States National Counterterrorism Centre, Joe Kent, is being investigated by the FBI according to media reports.

It is understood the investigation centres around alleged leaks of classified information.

Kent was the first senior official in the Trump administration to quit over the Iran war.

“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” he wrote in a statement shared to X on Tuesday.

CBS reports that the investigation into Kent pre-dates his shock resignation.

New fuel tsar Anthea Harris is regarded as of Australia’s most experienced energy regulators with a career spanning across several high-profile leadership roles.

The former chief executive of the Australian Energy Regulator and Energy Security Board has been named as the national coordinator of a new fuel supply taskforce amid shortage concerns in the Middle East.

She has previously served as as the deputy secretary of the energy group within the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water, and Planning.

Ms Harris will lead the new taskforce that will be established within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

She will work with representatives appointed by each state and territories as a central hub for the national coordinated effort to shore up supplies and best distribute it across the country.

A projectile has hit a ship off the coast of Qatar, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre.

The incident occured off Ras Laffan, a crucial natural gas supply point in Qatar that has been repeatedly hit by Iranian fire overnight.

UKMTO has said the ship’s crew are safe.

It is unclear if the vessel had been deliberately targeted or was hit by falling debris.

The South Pars is the largest natural gas field in the world and is one of Iran’s key assets.

The field, which is shared by Iran and Qatar, is estimated to hold between 14 to 51 trillion cubic metres of natural gas.

80 per cent of power in Iran comes from natural gas, with most of this being produced in the South Pars.

This means any impact on the field’s ability to produce gas would majorly hinder the Iranian energy supply.

Reuters has reported the South Pars is also crucial in providing gas to neighbouring Gulf countries like Iraq, which relies on Iranian gas to supply 40 per cent of their gas and power needs.